The Legend Continues
by animeo
Summary: INUYASHA HAS A KID! but then he leaves kagome in her time not returning for 3 WHOLE YEARS! songo and miroku have kids! shippo is thirteen! read to find out more this is my first fic so please R&R! Finally an update...read it please...so very sorry guys
1. The news

1I don't own inuyassha this story and some of the OC in it :)

Kagome ran through the field which sparkled in the morning light from the dew resting on the blades of grass. As each foot hit the ground, dew droplets flew through the air from the crushed grass under her brown loafers. She spun around after reaching the well and waved down to Shippou and Sango who decided to bid her farewell as she was about to travel through time once again. Kagome placed her shaky right foot on the lip of the old well then did the same for her other foot, being careful not to slip. Once gaining her balance, she jumped into the well with her smile widening as the mysterious blue aura of time travel surrounded her. She found that all the times she traveled through time, which was through the well, she found her memories of the past locking themselves away in her mind. As if she was sub-consciously worried that these memories would be lost in the past where they belonged and not to tangle with the future. She reached the bottom of the well after passing through time and turned to her right and reached for the ladder that was strung onto the lip of the well. As she hoisted herself and her rather large yellow bag full of necessities up the ladder and over the lip, she had realized that it had been 2 years since she had met Inuyasha. She soon found herself in the well house once reaching the outside of the well. She rambled up the creaky steps and pulled back the sliding door. Her light-hearted smile had turned to a sullen frown as she peered out to her surroundings. Rain poured down from the dark colorless sky and propelled to the earth with great force. She compared the opposites of her era's weather to that of the feudal era in her mind as she raced out into the open to go to her house. By the time she reached her house and stepped inside, she was drenched. She removed her wet muddy shoes and made her way over to the sink in her kitchen leaving a wet trail from her wet socks behind her. She took hold of her damp locks and squeezed them out over the sink. Water trickled down from her wet hair and into the sink where it settled on the sides of it.

She then made her way up to her room where she hustled in and removed her wet clothes. She threw them in a pile in the corner. She had noticed that her laziness was starting to catch up with her as time went by.

"Maybe it's that lazy half demon, I know," she giggled to herself as she grabbed her housecoat and pulled it on. After doing this, she made her way for the bathroom and started to run some hot bath water. She grabbed some towels and placed them on the vanity counter for after she was done.

She slipped off her housecoat and placed it on the small hook on the door and stepped in the steaming liquid. After getting settled inside, she leaned back and heaved a sigh of content. How she loved taking baths. It relaxed all her nerves and gave her a chance to reflect. Although she loved to think about different things and people, it also hurt her at times because the thought that she always tried to escape was the thought of Kikyou. As the time had gone by since Kikyou's resurrection, she had felt more and more heart-broken. But she kept going for him. She loved him too much to forget about him. He meant too much to her. He was the one thing that kept her going. Kept her heart as strong as it could be. She knew she could never fill the indent in his heart that was marked by Kikyou. But she knew she could try to love him as much as she could to fill the rest. As she continued to think about the pair, she cupped her hand and filled it with some of her bath water. She straightened her fingers and watched as the liquid slipped through the cracks of her fingers and back into the bath water. 

After she finished her bath, she dried off in her room with her towel and got dressed into her another one of her school outfits identical to the damp one she had carelessly tossed to the side. She took a seat on her bed and slipped on her white knee socks as her mother walked in un-announced. Kagome peered up to her and smiled her famous kind-hearted grin. Kagome's mother returned the gesture then asked her how long she was staying. Kagome shrugged while pulling up her other sock to her knee.

"Another fight with InuYasha?" Ms. Higurashi asked curiously. Her mother's intuition picked up on her daughters body language and knew right away it had to do with the hanyou. Kagome flipped back her hair then replied,

"Not really...I've just been thinking a lot about him and someone else lately,"

Ms. Higurashi took as seat beside Kagome and placed her arm around her while resting her hand on her daughter's shoulder. As much as Kagome loved her mother and her guidance, she really wasn't up for a speech at the time. She stood and smiled to her mother and lied, 

"It's nothing, mom! I'm fine, really!" 

Her words dripped with phoniness as she lied straight through her teeth. She left the room quickly, grabbing her yellow bag along the way. She went to the kitchen and grabbed the things that she needed and threw them in her bag. Her grandfather and brother watched her in wonder as she grabbed things as fast as she could and continued to put them in.

"Uh, Kagome, would you like something to eat before you go?" her grandfather asked. But his question fell on deaf ears since Kagome was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to listen. She finally buttoned up her bag, threw it over her shoulder, then headed for the door. She grabbed the umbrella laying against the wall and slipped on her shoes. She pulled back the sliding door and opened her umbrella. She placed it over her head then made her way back to the well house. There was a shrill tinge of chill in the air that made her feel lousy. She hated it because it made her feel even worse as the thoughts of Inuyasha and Kikyou lingered at the back of her mind. She stepped inside the shack after sliding the door behind her and jumped into the well.

'I better stop thinking about them,' she thought sadly to herself as the blue aura cradled her body to bring her back through time, 'If I don't, it will affect everything I do,' With this, she put on a happy smile and discarded of any unhappy thoughts. Finally, she reached the bottom. She grabbed onto the vines and pulled herself up and out. She stood and took in a deep breath while stretching her arms. She looked around, but no sign of InuYasha. Usually he and Shippou would be waiting for her to come back but this time, no one. As she was about to call for him, she paused at the sign of Kikyou's soul collectors. She couldn't help but wince at the thought of InuYasha being with her (which most likely he was). As much as she wanted to just make her way back to old Kaede's hut, she couldn't help but follow one into the dark mist of the forest. As she continued to follow closely behind, she heard the faint voices of InuYasha and Kikyou. Her mind racing with thoughts of what action to take, she ran to hide behind the closest tree. She bit her lip and sunk down to the ground, still hidden behind the tree. She didn't mean to eaves-drop, but now, she had no other choice. She listened in to hear InuYasha finishing a sentence,

"––Kikyou no! I won't let you leave me again!"

"InuYasha, there is no hope for us in this life...only the next. So come with me to hell,"

InuYasha sighed under his breath at her comment and replied,

"Kikyou...is that the only reason you came to me?"

"InuYasha, don't be a fool. It's true, I loved you once before. But in order for both our destinies to be fulfilled, you must come with me to hell," 

"But...Kagome,"

"Why do you hesitate, InuYasha? Does my reincarnation mean more to you than me? Don't be so naive. The only reason you hesitate is because her resemblance to me!"

Kagome's eyes widened at Kikyou's harsh remark and waited for InuYasha's refutation but heard only dead silence. Her eyes flooded and the tears spilled down her fair cheeks. InuYasha's keen sense of smell picked up on the salt from her tears which soon indicated to him that Kagome was around. Kikyou's scent was overpowering Kagome's but only because InuYasha was letting it. His mind was flooded with memories of both his moments between himself and both priestesses. He remembered when Kikyou had fond thoughts of using the jewel on him to make him human so that she could be with him and yet, Kagome loved him just the way he was. He realized that now it was time, to make his final decision. 

"Kikyou," he started to say, "I just can't love you anymore. My heart can only be teased so much. Kagome has opened herself up to me, while you keep me guessing all the time. It's true, I still love you but we can never be together again," 

Kikyou stepped back in disbelief and asked cautiously, 

"What's this? You choose my reincarnation over me?" 

All her soul collectors came to her and curled around her body, lifting her high into the air. InuYasha stared up to her with a single tear rolling down his cheek as he whispered,

"Good-bye, Kikyou,"  
Kagome wiped her tears with her sleeve and sat still, not knowing what to do. While she was thinking, she heard InuYasha speak,

"You can come out now, Kagome,"

Kagome swallowed a large lump in her throat, then got up and slowly went to see him. On the way she thought in horror, 

'He knew I was there the whole time!'

She walked up to him and he stared at her for a few moments before Kagome gazed away from him.

"I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation!" she started to explain, "I just came looking for you and I-," She was cut short, though, when she felt him up against her body with his lips to hers. She blushed brightly and felt her eyes start to close as she began to give into the kiss. She slid her hands up to his shoulders and broke the kiss for a breath. She whispered his name and rested her head onto his chest while closing her eyes once again. She placed her hands on his back and embraced him. He then did the same, by holding her close to him and whispering,

"I'm so sorry if I ever hurt you, Kagome,"

She only smiled and whispered, 

"InuYasha...I love you,"

He smirked and held her closer while whispering back,

"I love you too, Kagome,"

Miroku made his way to the small abandoned hut to look for Inuyasha or Kagome. 

"InuYasha? Kagome?" He called while pulling back the hanging door. His eyes widened as he saw InuYasha laying beside Kagome with only a blanket covering them. Miroku, shocked, was frozen still as Kagome and the half demon opened their eyes to see their monk friend standing in the doorway. They felt their faces tingle as they turned crimson red in embarrassment. Kagome grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to her cheeks so her body was mostly covered. She couldn't help but let a shrill scream of embarrassment escape her lips.

"MIROKU, GET OUT!" They both screamed. As Miroku ran out he was hit with numerous objects that the pair threw to get him out and away from the hut. She collapsed on the floor as well as InuYasha, muttering that she had a splitting headache now that Miroku had seen them.

Miroku struggled to get up off the ground after being hit with so many things and made his way back to Lady Kaede's hut. He burst in and grabbed onto Sango who was holding their two month old son and dragged her behind the hut.

"What is it, Miroku!" She asked in annoyance as she held her baby close to her. There was a brief silence with Miroku looking dead serious until he started to laugh hysterically. Sango arched a brow and asked him why he was laughing so Miroku explained. There was another brief silence after he explained, then they both started laughing out of control. Sango couldn't help but continue to laugh at the image of Miroku walking in on the two in such a state. They finally gathered themselves together and made their way back inside the hut.

Meanwhile, Kagome and InuYasha were still inside the abandoned hut getting dressed. Kagome pulled on her green skirt and exclaimed,

"What are we going to do now!" InuYasha started to tie his sash and replied,

"How the hell do I know! Stupid monk had to come in and––," As he drifted off Kagome continued to think while pulling on her shirt.

"Ok well, we won't walk in the hut together. We'll just make it seem like uhh...oh I don't know!"

InuYasha pulled on his haori and exclaimed,

"Who cares! We'll just go in there like nothing happened...besides, they don't have to know any details," 

Kagome looked up to him in awe while pulling on her last sock and smiled. She raised her finger tips to her neck to see a swollen bite mark.

"I forgot to ask you, InuYasha, what does that mean?"

He blushed and replied,

"It means you're my mate...I marked you as mine,"

It was Kagome's turn to blush. She never really did like being 'owned' but when it came to InuYasha, she made the exception. She stood up and walked over to her shoes and slipped them on. She heaved a sigh then nodded for InuYasha to follow her.

They reached Lady Kaede's hut and stepped inside like nothing had happened. Shippou and Lady Kaede had no idea what had happened so they greeted the pair like usual. But Sango and Miroku sat still, not saying a word. It was as if they knew that if they even let a syllable leave their lips, they would bust out in laughter. So they decided to keep quiet. Kagome walked over and took a seat beside Sango, not saying a word. InuYasha followed and took a seat beside Kagome. There was an awkward silence until Kagome spoke,

"So...are we going to get going?"

Everyone nodded and got up, making their way out side as Sango gave her son to Lady Kaede to look after while they continued to search for the jewel shards. Shippou was surprised when no one spoke for a while. Annoyed at the awkward silence, Shippou jumped in front of the group and asked what was going on. Nobody answered though and just continued to walk. Shippou growled then joined back up on Kagome's shoulder.

As weeks went by, the group eventually got to talking normally again as if nothing had ever happened. Both Kagome and InuYasha were glad that the monk and demon slayer hadn't mentioned anything to them about their night together. As the continued to search for the shikon shards, InuYasha stopped suddenly with his ears twitching at the sound of a youkai approaching. InuYasha turned to Miroku who had stopped as well, and told him that a demon was coming. InuYasha stepped backwards with the others as a swirling tornado came crashing towards them. InuYasha grabbed onto his Tetsusiega tightly and let a small sneer form his lips. He watched as Kouga jumped out from the swirling wind and push him to the ground with his feet. When InuYasha got up, he noticed that Kouga had taken Kagome into his grasp. InuYasha growled lowly and screamed for the wolf demon to let Kagome down. Kouga just replied by jumping to the nearest hilltop and holding Kagome tight as she struggled to be free. Kagome continued to struggle and exclaimed,

"Kouga, what in the world has gotten into you! Let me down!"

Kouga just ignored her cries and glared Inuyasha down.

"Listen wolf man, either you put her down, or I'm coming up there to get her!" InuYasha threatened. Kouga just snickered and replied,

"Not a chance dog breath! No puppy dog has a chance against me!"

The foolish remarks and stupid comments went on for a while, until Kouga's anger got out of control and he found himself squeezing Kagome too hard. For an odd reason, Kagome felt a sharp pain in her stomach and called faintly for her half demon savior. InuYasha heard the faint cry and felt his eyes burn red with anger.

"That's it, you're dead!" He screamed as he charged Kouga. InuYasha came at him so fast though, he didn't even get a chance to defend himself or even let go of Kagome. The hit from Inu, caused both the wolf demon and Kagome to fall to the ground off of the small hill. As they fell through the air, the trio called for their friend, Kagome, unable to help her. All turned silent as Kouga stood up shakily and kneeled beside Kagome's limp body. He called her name but she didn't move a muscle. Kouga dodged InuYasha who was swinging his sword at him in anger.

"InuYasha!" Shippou shouted, "Can't you see that Kagome is hurt!"

InuYasha stopped dead in his tracks and spun around to his mate. Kouga made a run for it but promised he would come back for Kagome. InuYasha ignored the wolf, running to Kagome's side and dropping to his knees.

"Ka-Kagome?" he stuttered as he moved the bangs from Kagome's face. Kagome's eyes opened half way as she muttered his name and smiled. InuYasha trembled before her and held her in his arms protectively.

As the three males, InuYasha, Miroku, and Shippou, waited outside the hut of Lady Kaede, there was solemn silence. They waited anxiously for Sango or the old priestess to come out to inform them of how bad Kagome's injuries were. Shippou began to jump up and down in angst exclaiming, 

"I sure do hope Kagome is ok!"

Usually InuYasha would be hitting Shippou over the head by now, but he was too worried about Kagome to put in the effort. He peered up into the tree nearby as a light breeze blew through his silver mane. He was nervous for Kagome's well-being and hoped that she wouldn't be too upset with him. Sango came out from the hut and the three males turned to her in wonder. She turned her gaze to InuYasha and a smirk curved her delicate lips.

"What are you smirking at! How's Kagome!" He asked impatiently. Sango only let a small giggle escape past her lips as she grabbed onto Miroku's shoulder and grabbed hold of Shippou, dragging them away. InuYasha turned back to the doorway to see Lady Kaede coming out into the open with Kagome slightly leaning on her. InuYasha stood and stared at Kagome's bandages near her ribs. Kagome leaned off of old Kaede and nodded to her. "I'll leave you two alone," she said while walking away from the couple.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean for this to-," but InuYasha was cut off by Kagome's two soft finger tips placed on his lips to silence him. Her soft brown orbs wandered to the ground as she whispered,

"It's alright, I understand. Besides, you only did it to protect me," 

InuYasha smiled and took her into his hold, embracing her. As they continued to hug, Kagome whispered in his little white dog ear,

"InuYasha...I have something to tell you," 

InuYasha pulled back, breaking the hug and looked Kagome straight in the eye while asking what it was. Kagome took InuYasha's hands in her own and replied,

"I'm pregnant with your child, InuYasha,"

She smiled happily as joyous tears spilled down her cheeks. He looked deep into her eyes, mouth a gap. 

"Kagome..." he studdered, "I love you with all my heart,"

"Naraku!" Kagome shrieked while letting her sacred arrow fly through the air towards his body. Naraku hissed as it burned off his arm and dodged to the side. Kagome stood in front of the injured Sango who was crying her eyes out. 

"How could you do such a ruthless thing to Kohaku!" Kagome screamed while lining up another arrow and glaring over to Kohaku who was lying on the ground without movement. Naraku had just taken the jewel shard from his back and held it in his grasp. She released the arrow once again which went through his hand holding the shard. The hand flew off of his arm and to the ground with the jewel shard tucked under his bony demon fingers. Shippou ran by and fetched the jewel shard before being ripped to pieces. He brought it to Kagome who held it protectively in her palm. Naraku came crashing before her but before he could get to her, he was attacked by InuYasha.

"We need to get the rest of the jewel he has with him. It's in his chest, but I don't know if I can get it out with my arrow," Kagome thought aloud. Miroku frowned and replied, 

"Might as well give it a shot!" Kagome nodded and lined up her shot. She tried as much as she could to concentrate on the light that only she could see embedded in his chest. If she hit it right, the arrow would wedge underneath the jewel and shoot it out. Kagome swallowed hard and screamed for InuYasha to move. He turned to her and jumped out of the way as the arrow was released. It hit perfectly and the jewel came flying out. She ran and picked up the jewel covered in Naraku's blood. Naraku watched as InuYasha wound up to use his 'wind-scar' attack and cowered in fear. He shot into the air as dark thick black smoke and away from the group. The group was blown back by the strong wind Naraku had caused from fleeing, and they all fell to the ground. As the air settled, InuYasha and the rest of the group rushed to Kagome's side to see if she was alright. She opened her eyes slowly and a huge smile curved her lips as she opened her hands to reveal the jewel shard from Kohaku's back that Naraku had taken out, and the huge jewel fragment that Naraku already collected. They all smiled and laughed amongst themselves at out witting Naraku. But went to console Sango of her deceased brother.

After giving Kohaku a proper burial, InuYasha and Kagome rested in the Cherry Blossom tree near-by in each other's arms. Kagome sat up and turned to face InuYasha as she said,

"InuYasha...I need to go back to my own time soon to give birth. While I'm gone for a couple of months, I want you to search for the last remaining jewel shards. And I've made the decision to live here with you and our baby in the feudal era. I can become a priestess,"

InuYasha looked at her in awe, he never knew Kagome would sacrifice living in her own time to be there with him. She smiled and heaved a sigh as he blinked at her. Kagome reached up to his neck and rubbed the heart shaped locket she had given to him long ago.

"I'll always be with you InuYasha," she whispered as she smiled. He smiled back as she fell into his arms again.

InuYasha inhaled and peered over the lip of the well which brought him and Kagome together long ago. He couldn't believe that so long ago when he first met her, he despised her. But now, he couldn't stand being without her. He had grown to love her so much. Kagome snuck up behind him

and placed her hand on his shoulder and said in an effort to make him feel better,

"Once you come back for me, we'll live here as a family like I said before,"

He turned to face her and promised,

"I promise I'll come back for you...nothing will stop me,"

She smiled weakly, still upset with having to leave him. She gave him a small peck kiss on the lips then turned to Lady Kaede, Miroku and Sango whom she had said good-bye to before and waved shouting,

"I'll be back in a while!" 

Shippou came running up beside the two and jumped into Kagome's arms.

"You ready?" Kagome asked to the fox demon who had been stuffed with food from her time and dressed in clothes from her time in an effort to get the fox demon to travel with her and InuYasha. He nodded and so the trio jumped down into the well and travelled through time. Shippou opened his eyes cautiously to find himself still in Kagome's arms.

"It worked!" Kagome exclaimed at the sight of the small demon. She had decided to take Shippou with her since Miroku and Sango weren't going to search for the remaining jewel shards with InuYasha because of their child and their expectant child so Kagome didn't want InuYasha to be annoyed by the fox. InuYasha gathered Kagome who was holding the fox demon in his arms and jumped out of the well into the small house created for it.

Kagome nervously walked up to the sliding door to her house, afraid to knock. InuYasha stood behind her for support as she knocked on the door. It was pulled open by Souta who smiled hugely and called for his mother and grand-father. They both came to the door asking what was the matter. Kagome's lips curved into a small smile as she greeted weakly,

"Hi, mom...I'm home,"

Kagome tried as hard as she could to hold back tears but found it impossible as he mother burst into her own tears and held her daughter in her arms. As they talked, InuYasha turned to Shippou and said,

"Listen Shippou, you've got a responsibility here. You're basically family so you have to watch over Kagome. And from the day my child is born, you always have to watch out for them, ok?"

Shippou nodded and glowed with pride at all the responsibility he was enduring. Kagome finally let go of her mother and went beside InuYasha and told everyone else she needed to talk to him alone. So everyone, including Shippou, went inside.

"So, InuYasha. You can come back in a couple of weeks and stay here until I give birth. Then I'll stay here with our child while you continue to search for the shards," As Kagome continued to explain, she drifted off as InuYasha's amber eyes started to droop. There was a pause, and Kagome didn't waste it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried onto his shoulder uttering that she didn't want to leave him.

"Once all the jewel fragments are collected, I'll take you and our pup back to the feudal era where we can live as a family," he reassured her as he held her close. He wiped away her tears as they broke their embrace and they shared one more kiss before he left. As she watched him descend down the well from where she could see. A single tear traveled down her cheek as she hoped that he would not forget about her.


	2. Don't Forget

Kagome took hold of the railing as she waddled down the stairs with Shippou in tow.

"Kagome, are you sure you're alright?" Shippou asked concerned that his mother figure wasn't fit to go down the stairs alone now that her stomach had enlarged from her child. Kagome only smiled to the kitsune child and nodded as she made her way for the living room.

"Hey Shippou!" Souta called to the fox demon. Shippou spun around and smiled to his human friend and raced off to go play. Kagome grinned at the friendship that had blossomed between the two as she took a seat around the small living room table.

"Kagome would you like some tea?" Ms. Higurashi soft soothing voice cooed from the kitchen.

"Yes, please...and do me a favor and look out the window to see if InuYasha's here yet,"She answered.

She stared down to her reflection in the glass piece that was built in the small table and sighed. She couldn't believe she was going to have a baby with the man of her dreams. She delicately grasped the notebook laying at the corner of the table and flipped through the pages filled with baby names. She still hadn't decided which name to choose and it was even more difficult because they had not found out whether their child was a female or male. She frowned as she flipped through the pad but placed it back on the table when her mother came in with the tea. She thanked her then took the cup into her hands and sipped it.

"So I'm guessing he wasn't there," she asked sadly after the liquid traveled down her throat.

"Oh don't worry, honey, he'll be here," she consoled as she gently squeezed her daughter's hand. Kagome smiled to her but her gaze and her mother's was drawn to the loud noise at the door. Ms. Higurashi stood and exited the room for the door, leaving Kagome in anxiety. She could feel herself shaking but not in fear, but in excitement. She hoped with all her mite that it was her half demon mate who was the cause of the ruckus. She watched as her mother entered the room with a grin gracing her lips. And sure enough, there was InuYasha, following in behind her. Kagome's eyes glittered as she watched him come nearer to her. She stood up shakily then made her way over to InuYasha with her arms open. He embraced her and they shared a long kiss which was built on concern and patience.

"I'm so glad you're-," she started to speak but was cut short when she realized something very important...her water had broke.

"My water broke!" she shouted to her mother and mate. Kagome's mother ran for the kitchen and grabbed her car keys off the little hook by the door and shouted for the two to come with her.

"What is it, mom?" Souta asked with both him and Shippou looking dumb-founded. She smiled and told them that Kagome was going to have the baby soon. Shippou began to jump up in down in excitement while Souta went to go tell his grandfather. Ms. Higurashi opened the door for InuYasha who was helping Kagome through the door way and they went to the car. She opened the car door for Kagome and she took a seat in the passenger's seat.

"Ok, InuYasha, you go sit in the back," She demanded to the half demon.

"What is it?" He asked suspiciously while tapping on the window with his long demon nail. She rolled her eyes and opened the door for him. He jumped in and peered around at his surroundings while his mother-in-law shut his door and scurried over to the driver's seat. She stuck the keys in the ignition and started up the car with InuYasha jumping in fright at the odd noise the engine made. Kagome couldn't help but laugh through her painful grunts.

"InuYasha, put on your seatbelt," Ms. Higurashi instructed as she showed him with her own seatbelt and Kagome's.

"Keh, I don't need no stinking seat-welt," he replied stubbornly.

"It's called a seat-belt, InuYasha," Kagome answered (sweat-drop).

"Whatever," He muttered under his breath. He never did like to be corrected. She stepped on the gas and the car went flying down the streets of Tokyo. At every sharp turn, the car was swung around, which continuously banged InuYasha into the car window. He continued to scream words that no one could really make out clearly at every time he was thrown into a window.

"I told you to put on your seatbelt!" Kagome's mother bellowed in an 'I-told-you-so' voice to the injured half demon. Finally the car came to a stop in front of a building with hug red neon letters that read, 'HOSPITAL'. Kagome reached to the side and took hold of the red baseball cap and threw it back to him and his mother-in-law handed him a pair of sandals to where as well.

InuYasha sat in the chair in the waiting room as he waited patiently for the nurse to come out from Kagome's hospital room. As he waited anxiously, he peered over to his left to see a little girl with big brown eyes looking at him. She had light brown hair dun up in pig-tails and wore a pink jumper. InuYasha looked at her and wondered what it would be like to have a little girl of his own. Surprisingly, he wanted a female pup instead of a boy child. But knew he would be happy with whatever child Kagome bore.

"Hi!" The little girl exclaimed as she flashed a small childish wave to the half demon. He frowned and returned the hello. She crawled up on the seat beside him and continued to stare at his golden eyes. InuYasha jerked his head down to the floor from embarrassment at her stares and pulled his hat down more to cover his face.

"My name's Ai...what's yours?" She asked as she dipped under his cap and blinked her big brown eyes. He growled lowly in an annoyed manner, and sat up while crossing his arms replying,

"InuYasha,"

"That's a funny name," She retorted. He let his famous 'feh' ('keh') fly past his lips as his response to her ignorance. She lowered her gaze and turned away sadly at his, somewhat, hurtful semi words. He pulled his hat up a bit to reveal his demonic orbs to see what had troubled the young girl.

"What's wrong?" He asked with every little bit of curiosity surrounding his inquisitive remark. She turned back to him with the small puddles of tears resting under her eyes as she replied,

"You're mad at me,"

He scoffed and exclaimed that he wasn't mad at her.

"You know," He started to say, "My mate- uh I mean wife is in there having a baby," He said to her while pointing to the room Kagome was in, trying to make her feel better . Ai grasped his pants as her support as she leaned over to see the room. He smiled at her small little hands.

"Wow...so what do you want? A girl or boy?" she asked with her teary eyes dry once again. He smirked and said,

"A girl,"

She grinned from ear to ear with not even a handful of teeth backing up her smile. She gazed over to her mother who's grip was placed firmly on a wheel-chair with a young boy with a patch on his arm. She quickly turned back to InuYasha as she got down from the chair and told him that the little boy was her brother. He smiled and waved goodbye to her as she took her mother's hand and left the hospital.

"Goodbye Mister InuYasha!" Her hollers were heard through the quiet hospital halls. He smirked and knew that it would be great to have a child just like Ai. He stood and followed the nurse who had called him to Kagome's room into the hospital room. He rushed to Kagome's side and smiled as she lay on the bed, still flipping through the pad of baby names.

"I think I finally have a name if it's a girl: Kaede,"

He frowned and replied,

"Why would you want to name her after that ol' hag?"

"InuYasha! Don't say that about Lady Kaede!"

"That's another thing..how come you're pronouncing the name for the baby kay-ay-day?"

"Well first thing: I love the name and thought we could distinguish each one by the pronunciation. Secondly, I love the meaning and love that kind of tree,"

"Well..I do have to say, it is a nice name,"

She smiled at his smirk as he took her by the hand and waited by her side and discussed other names for a boy until she gave birth.

"What a beautiful little girl," The nurse exclaimed through clenched teeth. InuYasha glared over his shoulder at the nurse as she handed the baby to Kagome and screamed at the disgusted nurse,

"Hey! If you have a problem with my daughter, take it up with me!" She just rolled her eyes and made her way out from the room in an effort to avoid the angry new father.

"InuYasha, look," Kagome cooed and her mate spun around and gazed down to his daughter.

"She's beautiful," He whispered.

"Yes...our little Kaede," She whispered back with a spark of contained glee, "Would you like to hold her?"

He nodded and took the newborn gently into his arms. Kaede smiled up at him and he smiled back. Suddenly ruining their father-daughter moment, the doctor came in a rush.

"Hello again. Now I don't mean to alarm you, but as you must have noticed, there is some deformity in the child," He warned while pointing to her small dog ears and tiny fanged teeth.

"Listen, doc, if you think you're just going to hand our daughter over to those bunch of scientist people out there you better think twi-," InuYasha started but was interrupted by Kagome's pleas,

"I know this is no deformity. It was to be expected. Can you please just let us go without any further study on her?"

The doctor smiled at the new mother and nodded in agreement,

"You can leave tomorrow night,"

InuYasha smirked then looked back to his yawning daughter.

Kagome solely sipped her tea as her eyes were constantly glazed over with tears. Without warning, her mother stepped into the kitchen to catch her daughter on the verge of tears. After keeping her own input in for so long, Ms. Higurashi finally gave in and let her voice bellow throughout, which shook the whole household,

"How could he do this to you!"

It had been 3 years since Kagome had spoken to InuYasha, but she had refused looking for him since she trusted that he would return to her with the rest of the shards.

"Mom," She said as she took in a deep sigh, "He said he would come back, and I believe he will," Kagome knew her mother wouldn't buy into her fake sincerity since she herself didn't even believe what she had said. She knew she should have, but it was so hard. Especially since he had been gone for so long.

"I knew he was going to leave you!" Her mother hollered one more just to irritate Kagome.

Kagome slammed her hand on the table in aggravation then stood, heading for the stairs with her excuse leading behind her,

"I'm going to go check on Kaede and Shippou, goodnight!"

Ms. Higurashi frowned while leaning on the counter and sipping her tea.

Kagome walked in to see thirteen-year-old Shippou fast asleep in a small bed with little three year old Kaede in the next. Shippou had finally grew and was now up to her ribs. He was a handsome young boy who was always looking out for his little 'sister'. He had shaggy rust colored hair, as always, and a smile that would one day, drive girls wild. As for Kaede, she had jet black hair just like her mother as well as her mother's deep brown eyes. She cared for things as much as her mother did as well. But her personality was most like her hanyou father; a huge temper and very impatient. She had dog ears like her father, except hers were black, and tiny dog fangs as well as long dog nails. Her feature that mostly reminded everyone of InuYasha, were her eyes which turned honey golden when she was upset or felt very strongly on one particular emotion.

Kagome stroked her sleeping daughter's cheek then made her way over to the window to ponder for a while. She thought deeply on all the adventures her and InuYasha had embarked on, and smiled. But the sneaky suspicion of something gone wrong on his lone journey was starting to elbow her in the head. She finally decided that she wasn't going to sit there like a nervous wreck, and finally took hold of a blanket for Kaede and decided to go when she was to awake.

She woke up and glanced over to the clock which read 4:15. She shot up and left a note for her mother and family to read so that they wouldn't try to stop her from leaving. She made her way over to Kaede and took her into her arms then silently woke Shippou. She grabbed her strap-on-baby-carriage, and strapped her daughter inside. Shippou yawned and rubbed his dull green eyes and asked Kagome where they were going.

"We're going back to find InuYasha," She answered in a light whisper trying not to wake the others.

"At this time of night?" He continued to question as they tip-toed outside to the well house. Shippou pulled open then pulled it closed as the pair stepped in, with Kaede asleep and strapped on to Kagome's back, with total silence. She grabbed hold of Shippou's hand and they both jumped in. While beginning to be engulfed through time, Kagome eagerly thought to herself,

'I'm coming for you InuYasha,'


	3. Returning Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha just the OCs

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Returning Home

Kagome reached up to the vines which crept down the old well and pulled herself up and out, careful not to wake her daughter. Shippou jumped out as well and cautiously stepped forward while looking around at his surroundings, trying to see if anything had changed since the kitsune had left. Kaede wiggled around and awoke from her slumber to view a very different place. She yawned and continued to glance up at the many trees and mountains as far as the eye could see. The young half demon girl couldn't help but be a bit frightened at first with the area, but soon warmed up to it as her mother walked towards the forest with Shippou beside her and Kaede on her back. With her pudgy little fingers she reached back and tugged on her mother's shirt in an effort to get her to let her down. When Kagome hadn't agreed, she began to let tiny whines escape her mouth and gradually began to get louder. Kagome sighed and let the tiny girl down to walk around for a bit. Kaede wobbled as she came to her mother's side and glanced up to her.

"Why we here, mommy?" the three year old asked. Kagome gazed into her daughter's wondering eyes and smiled, replying,

"We're here to look for daddy,"

Kaede let a small sad pout curve her lips as the faint memories of her and her father flashed through her mind. Kagome found it quite peculiar how a three year old could remember such memories of her father, but never doubted her for a second. Kagome lowered her head in sadness as all went silent. Kaede looked up to the clouds then inhaled deeply with her black dog ears twitching away. All at once, she shot into the air. Kagome's eyes enlarged as did Shippou's as they looked up to the 'flying' hanyou.

"I never knew she could do that like InuYasha!" Shippou exclaimed playfully. Kagome grabbed onto the smirking fox-demon and dragged him and herself after her soaring daughter through the forest.

"We have to go after her!" Kagome screamed as she finally let go of Shippou so that he could run on his own. He quickly transformed into a horse and Kagome hopped on. He rapidly galloped through the forest under the three year old who was thrusting herself against the rushing winds high up in the sky. She giggled at the power she had but decided to go back down to the ground when she spotted a village.

Kagome watched from afar as Kaede set herself down to the ground and run into the village just on the out-skirts of the forest. She jumped off of Shippou as he transformed back to normal, and the pair ran after Kaede who had charged gracefully into one hut that was vaguely familiar to the reincarnated miko. Kagome slowed her pace and shouted for her daughter.

"Hi! I'm Kaede, who are you?" she heard her child greet ever so happily. Little Kaede was quite the explorer and was always looking for adventure, even if it did mean getting into trouble to do it. Kagome watched as her daughter came strolling out while looking up gleefully to the old priestess, Lady Kaede. The old woman took her smile from the child to her mother and began to slowly make her way to her deaceased sister's reincarnation. Kagome ran up to the old woman and bent her knees slightly to reach Lady Kaede's level as she took her into a friendly embrace. They broke the hug as Lady Kaede asked,

"Kagome! What on earth are ye doing in these feudal times?"

Kagome let a soft worried grunt erupt from her throat before she answered,

"I came to find InuYasha,"

Kaede sat outside with Shippou, playing with his small spinning top as he kept a careful eye on her. He knew how mischievous she was and knew that she would try to fly up into the air as soon as Shippou even blinked an eye. She reached over for one of his acorns which were layed out, and began to fiddle with the nut in her tiny hands. As the acorn fumbled out from her grasp and rolled behind Shippou, she ambitiously crawled over to grab the nut. As she crawled over, she noticed Shippou's rust colored tail laying carelessly by the acorn. She smirked playfully and gave it a tiny tug making him jump up in the air in slight pain. She clapped her hands together and gave a playful smile at her 'brother's' expression. As Shippou stroked his tail, Kaede snuck away and shot up in the air. But she didn't get very far at all, before she was dragged back down by two soft, yet, sturdy hands and pulled into her mother's grasp.

"No way, Kaede. We're not gunna have another mishap like that," Kagome warned as Kaede giggled with her big brown eyes glistening with innocence. Kagome couldn't help but smile at her young daughter's act of innocence. She walked into Lady Kaede's hut and placed her in the place around the fire furthest from the doorway so that her mischievous pup wouldn't try to make a daring escape into the outdoors. Shippou came in too, and took a seat beside Kaede. He gave her a small death glare as he moved his tail away from her hands. She smirked then grabbed onto the pacifier her mother had offered and shoved it into her small mouth and began to suck away.

Lady Kaede chuckled under her breath as Kaede looked to the doorway with eager eyes.

"She's just like her father I see," the old priestess murmured followed by Kagome nodding and pulling back Kaede who desperately tried to crawl away.

"She's very rambunctious tonight and I can't figure out why," Kagome questioned to Lady Kaede seeking an answer from her. Lady Kaede smiled and replied,

"Maybe she's like this because she's excited that she's truly home...she belongs in this time period,"

Kagome smiled back and agreed with the elder as she layed her daughter down onto the futon to go to sleep. At first, Kaede struggled and tried to sit up, but soon fell asleep when entranced by the hazy fire's glow which soothed the child.

"So," Kagome started to say, "What happened to Miroku and Sango and their child and unborn child once I left?"

"They went back to Sango's village and helped repair it. Their where-abouts now, is unknown...they probably have settled down somewhere near the taijiya village,"

Kagome gazed down at the fire with a smile. She was glad that everything had worked out for the pair as it should have. The conversation between Kagome and Lady Kaede went on only for a little while longer until they decided that they did not want risk waking Kaede and Shippou, who had just fallen asleep beside her, with their conversing. So they too, decided to let their weariness get the better of them.

Late into the night, as the darkness of night finally reached it's peak, Kaede awoke. Her sharp hearing perked up to a small sound outside of the hut. She stood up and hopped over her mother without making a peep and rushed outside in search of the noise.

The singing birds in the trees outside of the hut acted as Kagome's wake up call as she opened her eyes to the subtle beams of sunlight with shined through the slits through the hanging door which she faced. She sat up and stretched out her arms while letting a rather large yawn out. One of a mother's fears, is to wake up and find your child missing. She looked around frantically but found herself bursting out her daughter's name through shrill screams. Shippou shot up with his eyes wide open to the high pitched yell that Kagome had let out. After her scream settled, Shippou's eyes closed half way in a tired manner and he fell back onto the futon. He rubbed his eyes as Lady Kaede slowly sat up and asked Kagome what was wrong. Kagome quickly explained while she stood and pulled on her shoes. The other two got up as quickly as they could then the trio made their way out the door.

They searched around the village at first but when finding the child nowhere, they immediately dashed for the forest. With her longing depression for her mate and now this, Kagome couldn't stand the emotional pressure. Her knees gave in and she started to cry into her hands. Shippou came over and consoled his mother figure as Lady Kaede stared down an object a far distance away.

"I think I see something by the creek!" Her rough aging voice bellowed to the pair. Kagome looked up eagerly then started to run towards the object in both fright and curiosity. She slowly made her way over to see that it was indeed her daughter who was crouched over talking to a bug. She turned her head towards her mother and grinned as she greeted her,

"Hi Mommy!"

The bug jumped onto Kagome's shoulder and began to speak to the priestess. But going with her first instinct, she flung the flea off and grabbed onto her daughter and dragged her away while shouting,

"Get away from it Kaede!"

Soon coming to her senses, she realized that it was Myouga. She took the squished flea into her palm and sobbed her apologies to the old insect.

"No time for apologies, Kagome, we must save Lord InuYasha!"

Kagome felt chills rush through her body when she heard that InuYasha was in danger.

The four rushed through the forest (Myouga on Kagome's shoulder) with Lady Kaede on Shippou, who had transformed into a horse, in the direction that Myouga had instructed where to find InuYasha. As they ran, Myouga continued to explain to Kagome what had happened,

"We must hurry! For Lord InuYasha is in deep trouble! You see, when priestess Kikyo came across Lord InuYasha, she tried to speak with him about her arrangements of taking him to hell with her and being together once again, but Lord InuYasha refused, telling Kikyo that he was in love with another which was you. Well this made Kikyo furious and she turned Lord InuYasha human!"

Kagome gasped at Myouga's words as he jumped up and down on her shoulder.

"But how could she do that?" She asked in response.

"While you were gone, Kikyou had found the remaining jewel shards not too long ago. Because of her spiritual powers, she managed to use the jewel shards to change Lord InuYasha human...but thankfully not permanently. She has him locked up in a hut that we're going to and is keeping him there until he agrees to going to hell with her and dedicating his heart to only her,"

"How could she do this to him? She was the protector! She knows that the jewel should only be used for good. And why would she try to bring him to hell when he told her years ago that he had chosen me?" Kagome uttered in disbelief.

"Yes, quite strange I think. She has also created a barrier that can only let her enter and leave as well as Lord InuYasha, but he is too weak and is locked up so is unable to escape. I was with Lord InuYasha at the time so I as well was locked in there with him before she placed the barrier on the hut. Since Lord InuYasha is human, his needs need to be met, so I had been keeping him alive with nourishment such as food and water,"

"But how were you able to leave and return?"

"I took a good helping of Lord InuYasha's blood and I was able to go through because his blood was within me. But, I was caught by the angry miko but escaped before she could kill me. I came looking for you, but found your daughter, Kaede, instead,"

"Wait, so that means since I'm Kikyo's reincarnation, and InuYasha's blood runs through Kaede's veins since she is his daughter...we're the only ones besides InuYasha and Kikyo who can go through,"

Kagome glanced over to her daughter in sheer fright. They finally came to a hill which overlooked a large hut with a glowing purple aura. Without warning, Kaede's child recklessness got a hold of her, making her jet towards the hut.

"Kaede no!" Kagome cried to her impatient daughter. Myouga hopped off her shoulder from the sense of danger as Kagome told the others to stay put. She followed her daughter to the hut and they both came to the front sliding door. Kagome carefully pulled back the door and a gush of wind blew by the pair. Kaede darted through the gap from the sliding door to the wall and into the darkness of the hut with Kagome calling after her.

Kaede pulled back one door and made her way inside. She glanced around the room but all was empty except for a man who was pinned to the wall by tree limbs. She ran up to the man whose black bangs overshadowed his eyes, and climbed up the bark to his face without hesitation.

"Hi! I'm Kaede, have you seen my inu-papa?"

When she got no answer, she frowned and decided to wait until he replied.

Kagome whispered Kaede's name as she tip-toed down the hall into complete darkness. She could see a slight crack of some light in the wall and knew that it was one of the doors to a room. She swiftly pulled back the door as soon as she gathered her courage together; fearing that Kikyo could be in the room. She walked in cautiously then collapsed with her mouth a gape at the sight present. There was InuYasha in his human form, pinned up by tree limbs with Kaede beside him. Kaede turned to her mom and exclaimed,

"Mommy! This man won't tell me where daddy is!"

"Kaede," She uttered as a tear broke free, "That is your daddy,"

Kaede's surprised expression turned into a happy one at her mother's announcement.

"Daddy!" She shouted with happiness as she placed her hands on his shoulders and glanced down at him. She watched as his eye-lids quivered then open to see his daughter. Although he had not seen her since she was born, he had memorized her scent from the moment he held her. He smiled and whispered her name,

"Ka...Kaede,"

As Kaede wrapped her arms around InuYasha's neck as a daughterly embrace, Kagome dragged herself over to the pair and hugged them both. Her daughter backed off of InuYasha so her mother could bend in and kiss the suffering InuYasha. As soon as they broke their kiss, Kagome gazed into his golden eyes to see Kikyo in their reflection. She spun around and glared down the priestess.

"I hate to break up this reunion, but I'm going to have to," Kikyo threatened then sent a huge gust of wind their way which tore mother and daughter off of InuYasha. Kagome lay limp on the ground and watched Kaede bounce back up, through strands of her ebony hair that had covered most of her sight.


	4. Restless anger

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha just the OCs trust me if i did there would be a lot of changes like Kagome being dead...**

Restless Anger

"Oh InuYasha! You're young hanyou daughter has the determination like you. Too bad I'll have to kill her along with Kagome," Kikyo snickered as her threats were dry with postiche remorse. InuYasha's dark blue eyes shimmered quickly as a low growl vibrated in his throat. Little Kaede clenched her fists as the priestess threatened her and her mother's lives.

"You know," Kikyo mused as her laughter ceased, "We could avoid their ghastly fate as long as you come with me to hell, devoting your heart to me,"

InuYasha glanced over to his mate who was still lying limp on the floor near the other side of the room. As he was about to give in for his family's sake, he was interrupted by his peeved three year old,

"Leave inu-papa alone!"

She cracked her finger bones as she charged the miko who was a threat to her family. Kikyo backed up to dodge the attack but was still injured by the small half demon. Her torn shrine maiden kimono sleeve hung by a thread near her forearm where there was a gash from the attack. Kikyo frowned at the girl and shouted,

"I'm fed up with this child, she dies anyway!"

With saying this, Kikyo raised her hand and a huge gust of wind blew surprised Kaede into the far wall beside InuYasha. She slid down the wall after the impact and fell to the floor unconscious. Kagome sat up after seeing what had happened and cried for her daughter to wake up once she crawled beside her.

Kikyo laughed at Kagome's efforts to wake her child with her caring voice and warned,

"Now it's time for you to join her,"

She slowly lifted her hand once again but stopped suddenly when she sensed a pulsing gesture from InuYasha. She stopped and she and her reincarnation watched as his tinted black hair began to lighten.

"Wh-what?" Kikyo stuttered in disbelief as InuYasha began to regain his demon blood. His dog ears returned but there was a difference between his half demon self now; he had turned full demon. Kagome looked in awe as there was a prolonged creaking that was coming from the bark surrounding InuYasha. It finally gave way and the tree limbs went flying across the room as he broke free. The low growl from before had now managed it's way up and out of InuYasha's throat into a ferocious growl. Kikyo could feel the fear creeping up on her as the youkai came thrashing forward. He slashed her across the face leaving deep gashes. She lightly fingered the gashes then frowned in fury. She raised both hands and what looked to be glass pieces rose tenaciously from the floor. Kagome protectively covered her daughter's head and most of her body so that the glass did not harm her.

The pieces pierced InuYasha's skin, but he only smirked and shook them all out. Kikyo gasped relentlessly as he came over and stood before her. InuYasha bent down in front of Kikyo and gathered the remaining jewel shards Kikyo had collected which were scattered on the floor around her. He walked before Kagome making her cower with fear. Seeing him attack his past love, Kikyo, made her wonder and fear if he would harm her. He held out his palm with the jewel shards and Kagome relaxed. She carefully took the shards into her grasp and gazed up to him.

"I'm only in love with one, and that is Kagome," He announced to Kikyo. Her eyes darted from him to the floor in embarrassment and defeat. InuYasha's eyes returned to their normal honey coloured self as well as the rest of his body that had changed due to his demon blood taking over. A blue murky force came upon the injured miko and she disappeared without a trace. She wasn't dead, but she was gone. InuYasha turned to Kagome and helped her up. She collapsed in his arms and began to cry tears of relief. Kaede's eyes peeled open to see her parents safe and sound. She smiled a toothy grin and gradually came over to her parents and greeted them. Kagome giggled through happy tears as InuYasha held his daughter and mate close and fought back tears. He never wanted to leave them again.

Nine Years Later

Kaede ran through the house with her jet black hair fluttering through the air as she dodged numerous objects that came forth. She halted suddenly though when she came upon an object that she couldn't dodge; her great-grandfather. He raised a finger as he began to lecture his great grand daughter,

"Excuse me young lady..."

He began to inform her on how demons in her era weren't just going to let her walk all over them when she was in battle with them. As he rambled on, Kaede's eyes darted to the side in a bored manner. She finally interrupted him,

"Great Grandpa!" He paused as she continued,

"If I wanted to hear about my time, I would have stayed home!"

As he was about to respond, he pondered on what to say. Not knowing how to reply, he walked off into the next room in a huff. Kaede smirked playfully at her dumb-struck great-grandpa, and jetted up the stairs towards her mother's old room. As she walked through the hall, making her way for Kagome's old room, she peered in awe at the sun beams which shone to the hallway from her room. She stepped in and ran up to her mother's stereo system and rummaged through her old CDs. She popped one in and pressed play with her long demon nail while turning up the volume with her other hand. As the music flowed out from the speakers she couldn't help but begin to move her hips and become eloped in dance. With her excellent hearing, she heard the doorbell's faint ring. But she was so into her dancing that she didn't think of going out to see who it was...at least until the song was over. As she continued dancing, her mother unexpectedly ducked her head in the room at the door and couldn't help but laugh. Kaede finally noticed her mom and turned bright red at being caught dancing. She collapsed onto the bed as if she hadn't been dancing and smiled like she hadn't felt even a slight bit of embarrassment. Kagome looked to the floor as she sauntered into the room and reassured,

"No need to be embarrassed, Kaede,"

Kaede's eyes burned a gold tint as her anger took hold mixed with a touch of self-consciousness.

"I'm not embarrassed!" She yelled to her mother's accusations which were true. Kagome sighed and shook her head at how much her daughter resembled her father with her personality. She sat down beside her daughter and noticed the small pout she had every time she was upset ever since she was a child. Kagome stroked her daughter's cheek and whispered,

"It's your birthday...be happy,"

Kaede cast her gaze to the floor then back up to her mother's brown orbs as she asked,

"When is he coming?"

"He'll be here soon, don't worry," she assured her daughter who was touched with depression. Kagome bluntly changed the subject in order to rid her daughter's pout with excitement,

"You know, your father and I got you a very special gift that you'll love. Now come on, we're just about to do cake,"

Kaede stood with her mother and they both exited the room and made their way for the kitchen. When they got to the kitchen, Kaede's eyes widened in happiness to see InuYasha standing at the doorway to the room. She rushed into his arms and he embraced her and swung her around in his grasp. She smirked as he asked rhetorically,

"What? You thought I'd miss my own daughter's birthday?"

"Welcome," Kagome cooed softly with a grin to her features as she greeted her expected mate. He smiled and glanced back to his daughter with a smirk as she exclaimed,

"We're just about to do cake!"

He let her out from his grasp as she left the room to find her uncle, Souta. InuYasha walked over to the table and took a seat as well as Kagome. Kagome pushed herself nearer to the table while curling a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So," Kagome started to ask, "You got it, right?"

InuYasha's eyes flickered a bit while he gazed down at the wooden table. He could see the oil glazed over the wood reflecting the light from overhead. It was a habit in Kagome's family house-hold that they rub oil on the wood so that it sparkled underneath the hanging kitchen lights.

"Yah," He started his reply by dragging his gaze to her's, "Of course I did. You just gotta wrap it,"

She smiled and led him to the next room to wrap the gift for their daughter.

"Mom!" Kaede hollered through the house as she went looking for her parents.

"Dad?!" She yelled again as she came to a stop at her mother's old room where the door was shut. She slowly opened the door to see her parents standing side by side in front of a present.

"What are you doing?" Kaede asked suspiciously to her innocent parents who had fake smiles curving their mouths.

"We just had to wrap your gift," InuYasha explained.

"Kay well it's time for cake," Kaede announced as she heard Souta bellow for the family. Kagome grinned and grabbed onto the gift and brought it into the kitchen.

After cake, it was finally time to open gifts. Kaede reached over and took her uncles, grandmother's, and great-grandpa's gift into her grasp and tore the wrapping off to reveal a thick white blanket with golden thread knitted into it. She smiled and was glad with her gift. Kagome looked at InuYasha with a beaming smile after she handed her daughter their gift. She carefully unwrapped the present which revealed something extraordinary. Her gift, was the Shikon no Tama. She took it into her hands with her eyes glittering from the jewel's glow.

"But...you know I don't want to become full demon," Kaede said inquisitively as to why the would give her something so important for something she didn't crave like her father used to.

"We know, it's for you to protect," Kagome assured.

Kagome gracefully took the necklace from Kaede and placed it around her neck. Because of her pure soul, she could feel the warm goodness of the jewel. Kaede embraced her parents and thanked them for the gift.

"But why me? After all that searching and then you give it to me?" she asked in curiosity.

"Listen Kaede, you are our daughter, and we thought who better to protect it then our own child," InuYasha replied to her query.

She smiled and gently rubbed the jewel with her thumb while promising,

"I'll gaurd it with my life,"

InuYasha pulled back the hanging door which led to the outdoors, and stepped out into the setting sun beams. He casually made his way over to the sacred tree with no particular reason. He glared at the scared bark with his thoughts entranced on that specific spot. His thoughts were rudely interrupted by a small rock to the head. He rubbed his head and gazed up to his daughter who had a playful smirk. He jumped up to the branch she sat on with the rock wedged between his thumb and index finger. His angry features turned soft at her father melting smile. He was the most intolerant, rudest, cocky half demon around who took no bull, for a lack of a better word, from anyone, but when it came to his daughter, he couldn't help but forgive her for anything she did. She welcomed him up to the tree as he rested his buttocks comfortably on the rather large tree branch.

"What are you doing in here? Aren't you tired from your party today in the future?" He asked in curiosity. She shrugged, not making the effort to explain with her words. The sky began to darken as they sat in the tree talking away about any subject that rose. Kaede had always got along best with her father. Maybe it was because they were so much alike and they understood each other. But for whatever reason, they were very close.

"Dad," Kaede started to say as she gazed up to the broad jewelled sky, with the stars twinkling in her own eyes' reflection. He turned to his daughter as a faint wind blew by the two, bringing their silky manes along with it's misguided path. She smiled as she continued,

"How come no adventure comes up when I'm around?"

He couldn't help but chuckle at her unexpected question and replied,

"You'll have your own adventure one day,"

She let out a small groan and whimper to which InuYasha continued to laugh.

"But when?"

"You're so impatient,"

"Come on!"

"Well how about this, even though I know, one day, you will have your own fun, I'll take you on any adventure I go on. How's that sound?"

She grinned from ear to ear at his proposition and she sighed in content. He grinned back as she rested her head on his shoulder. They continued to sit on the tree's branch while peering up to the celestial skies which glittered with their jewels of stars.

"Come on..we better sneak back into our beds before your mom wakes up and finds us both gone," InuYasha warned. Kaede giggled and hopped down after her father and followed him through the forest. As they walked, she noticed a shooting star fly through the dark sky, briefly lighting it up. She stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes to make a wish. InuYasha turned around and couldn't help but smile at his daughter so deep in wish-thought. She opened her eyes and smirked as her wish was made.

"What did you wish for?" he asked curiously. She shook her head and told him that if she revealed her wish, it wouldn't come true.

Kaede slipped into her futon after her father had given her a goodnight kiss, and glared up to her window where a portion of the sky was present. She hoped that her wish, which was to have an adventure of her own, would come true. She finally became fatigued, and fell into a deep sleep. Only to await the next morning's unexpected activities.


	5. Home again

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha just the OC's ****trust me if i did there would be a lot of things different.**

Home Again

Kaede could hear the faint chirping from the birds outside the hut, as she awoke from her slumber. She sighed softly and her eye lids rose. Her brown irises shimmered from the beams of morning sunlight which shot down onto her from the open window. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes as her blanket tumbled off of her torso. She crawled out of her futon and waddled over to her window and peered out into the open. She couldn't help but let a large yawn bellow throughout her mouth as she stretched her tense arm muscles. She scratched her head with her finger tips and scurried back over to her futon as she heard someone approaching. Kagome walked into the room with a smile to her face as she glanced over to her 'sleeping' half demon daughter.

"Kaede, I know you're awake," Kagome called calmly as she bent over slightly to brush away some dirt off her priestess hakama pants. She chuckled as her daughter let a noisy groan echo through the room.

"Now get changed," Kagome commanded with a small giggle curving into her demand as she left the room in a hurry. Kaede shuffled around until she stood up once again in a huff. She glared over to the birds who were perched on her window ledge and muttered as she got dressed,

"Stupid birds,"

As she pull on her haori, which was almost identical to her father's except it differed in color; her's white, his red, and her's tighter by her stomach and ribs, a faint scent lingered into her bedroom. She shook off the scent, because it was too dull to even recall, and bursted into the kitchen part of her family's large hut. She glanced over to her father with her eyebrow quirked in question to his slob mannerisms. He sit with a bowl of steamed rice in his grasp, shoving clumps into his mouth. Through mouthfuls he greeted his daughter. She smirked and rolled her eyes as she took a seat beside him. She looked over to him in doubt of whether to ask him about the unfamiliar scent. He placed the empty bowl down, which had only a few grains of rice stuck to the sides. He took a deep swallow then turned to his daughter as she asked,

"Dad, just wondering, but do you smell something familiar?"

He frowned as he got up and made his way over to the window and ducked his head out, filling his nostrils with the outside air. He froze when he realized the familiar scent of graveyard soil. He reached back and signaled for his daughter to stay put. A sudden shrill scream was heard from Kagome from outside the hut. Kaede started to stand impatiently but InuYasha screamed for her to stay where she was like he instructed before as he bolted out from the hut. When she heard nothing but silence, she rushed out from the hut and through the fields. She stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes witnessed a terrible sight. There by one tree, lay her parents lying helplessly with arrows piercing their cheeks. She turned to her left to see the woman who had shattered her life once before, and now had done it again: Kikyo.

"I knew I would get my revenge," Kikyo whispered to herself with a smirk curving her lips wickedly.

A calm wind blew by as Kaede was left speechless and afraid. The horrifying thought of her parent's so-called-death ate away at her mind as she stare blankly at the resurrected priestess. Kikyo stared back at her then smirked cruelly.

"And as for you, young half demon, you will soon be joining them. Ah, and I see you have the jewel ready for me as well," Kikyo threatened with an icy smile. Kaede just continued to stand there in depression and shock as tears traveled down her cheeks and onto the blades of grass. These droplets of salty liquid then slipped off the bent blades and soaked into the ground below. She finally managed to scream through sobs,

"Kikyo! How could you kill my parents!"

She gasped as her eyes darted to the side when she sensed their pulsating heartbeats. She had to help them. She turned on her heel and took a step towards the direction of the tree. Kikyo tightened her grip on her bow as she warned,

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you help them,"

Kaede shunned the priestesses words out as she continued towards her father and mother. She watched frantically as her mother's wound continuously dripped with blood. Kikyo frowned at the girl's disobedience and rose her arm while raising her fingertips. The power that she had from long ago returned, and sharp glass pieces rose from the ground around Kaede. She screamed out in pain as the pieces pierced her body and dropped to her knees. She could feel the small puncture marks from where the glass pieces marked their bloody resting place in her skin. Kikyo snickered to herself but gasped as Kaede bent over and placed her hand down in the pool of her own blood surrounding her. She pushed herself up and began again, dragging her body towards her family. Kaede bit her lip in pain and blood rolled down her jaw-line from the injury she had caused out of suffering. Kikyo barked some foolish halts to the hanyou, but she was persistent, and finally came to her parent's side. As she took the arrows out from their bodies, she began to breath heavily in drowsiness because of her wounds. Kikyo pulled back an arrow in her bow and muttered,

"This will get rid of you for sure,"

Kaede's high pitched scream rang throughout the area as the arrow placed it's mark in her back. She twitched and let large breaths thrust outwards from her lungs as she reached back and took the arrow out. Kikyo began to growl in frustration at the insistent child and had no more ideas of how to stop her. Kaede reached over and took her mother's bloodied bow and lined up the arrow Kikyo had shot her with.

"This can't be!" Kikyo shouted in disbelief as Kaede continuously lined up the shot. Kikyo, out of other resources, rose her hand again and more pieces were pulled up from the ground.

"Enough!" Kaede screamed as a barrier surrounded her and her family. Kikyo stepped back cautiously as Kaede's fangs became longer and sharper as did her nails. Her eyes turned completely red with small golden pupils and curved her eyelashes far outwards.

"It..ends here," She growled. Her full demon blood took control of her body, and she released the arrow. As it flew towards the unarmed priestess, Kikyo, she whispered her final words,

"Goodbye...InuYasha,"

The arrow struck her clay body and she was taken backwards from the blow with a painful grunt. She collapsed on the ground as her body began to vanish with her collected souls floating up to the heavens. All turned quiet after the miko's death and cease of existence. The jewel began to glow with passion. It's glow overcame Kaede, and she turned back to normal. But she collapsed and turned unconscious from her wounds and the poison from the pieces. As all hope seemed lost, InuYasha's eyes weakly opened to the sunlight casting down from the leaves.


	6. Missing You Too

I own nothing…as usual - 

Missing you Too

Kaede leaned gently on the wooden beam keeping up the drawn out roof and gazed out without focus at the scenery blown with some fog. She cast her gaze upwards to the tops of the farther trees and watched as the pouring rain continued to descend from the petals of leaves and onto the ground. Her thoughts entangled with one another, she hadn't noticed Shippou calling her from her right. The thunderous sounds of the collapsing droplets also deafened her hearing to his repetitive hollers, until finally, he decided to tap her lightly on the shoulder. Or at least, that's what he should have done besides what he actually did do... shake her forcefully. After his constant juddering halted, she couldn't resist smacking him across the head and narrowing her eyes down at him.

"What the hell was that for!?"

She screamed as her brain tried to recuperate from the constant rattling her deep entrancing thoughts had received a moment ago. As he rub his throbbing head, he chuckled inwardly then collapsed onto the ground underneath the roof which protected him from the liquid drawing from the cotton like clouds that were drenched with grey. Kaede took a seat as well, while drawing her gaze back to the scenery, but this time, Shippou made sure to let his words slip out before her thoughts took hold of her once again.

"So what have you been up to while I was gone?" He heard her scoff lightly after his words took to the air and travelled to her precise hearing.

"The better question is what have _you_ been up to?"

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry I was gone for so long,"

"Good. You should be sorry. You were only gone for like a thousand years!"

"That's being quite melodramatic, don't you agree?"

"Well you were gone for a long time. Last time I saw you, I was nine!"

"That's not that long...only a four years,"

She was starting to become annoyed with his lull tone, which embarrassed her of the rash squabbling she was chewing into him. She relaxed her tense shoulders suddenly to relieve her sadness that she had conjured up into anger, instead. She had missed him so much for the previous four years of her life that she was forced to live on without him. He was such a big part of her. He was like a real brother who was always looking out for her, always there to keep her safe from other villagers who disowned her presence. The day he had left, for who knew what intentions he had at the time, struck her dumb...

Kaede squeezed her fist with a clump of thin white sheets clenched within her palm as she stretched out from tucked in her futon. She arched her back, stretching out her spine as she peered around sleepily to the bustling around her ear's had picked up on, waking her from her slumber. It took her a good five minutes to realize that she was awake and not still in the realm of her dreams. She stood up and wobbled out of the room in search of the shifting and shuffling. She round the corner and stopped dead in her tracks as she watched the sliding door slide shut, with her only getting a glimpse of him, Shippou. Kaede couldn't help but wonder why the kitsune had left so early in the morning and decided to let her curiosity get the better of her. She tiptoed to the shoji and pulled it back a crack, letting her lazy brown eye wander through the slit. She glared Shippou down, who was steadily making his way towards the forest. She glanced down at his small sack with numerous things tucked away inside which he carried in his right hand, and knew instantly that he was leaving. She quickly and forcefully pulled back the door and stumbled out into the colourless powder built up on the frigid ground in an effort to stop him. As she lost her footing in the desperate situation, she collapsed and tumbled in the cold substance. She peeled open her eyes which were gazing up to Shippou who soared through the soft whipping winter winds.

"Come back," She called woefully in a smooth whisper that only rested on her ears alone. It was useless. He was gone. She sat up slowly and brushed the snow from her arms and some that remained, glittering, on her silky strands of ebony hair. She considered chasing after him, but at that time, his speed was too rapid for her taste and besides, she was wasting time thinking about the possibility of catching up to him with every gasping breath she took. So hopelessly, she stood and a wave of shivers vibrated throughout her body as her skin tensed up into goose-bumps. She rubbed her arms which were bare because of her loose tank-top she had worn to bed, which she cursed herself for even thinking to wear such summer-like pajamas in winter. Dragging her freezing feet through the powder as they turned a rosy tint, she headed for the entrance to her family's hut, looking back in gloom...

"Why did you leave?" Kaede asked solemnly with her voice keeping it's steady tone. Shippou looked away from her brown eyes which seemed to make his heart bleed in guilty sorrow.

"It had nothing to do with you. I just needed to start living on my own...start training,"

"Training? With who?"

"Well after I left, I searched for a den to dwell in. Then, I realized I would need all the help I could get to train physically to defend myself at all costs. Before you were born and even before the jewel was broken so long ago, I was dependant on my father, and he in return babied me far too much. I always expected everything to be handed to me even when I lived with Kagome before you were born. I just needed to live on my own for a while...get some proper demon living which I should have had since I was a child. So I went to seek out guidance from the best possible example I could. I went to Kouga,"

"Kouga? The one who father despised and fell in love with––,"

"Your mother, Kagome, yes. At the time, he had a son who was a year or two older than you whom he was training, too. I believe his name was Kisho. Anyways, so Kouga agreed to help me and I stayed in their caves for quite a while until I came back to my den and was approached by Sango after so long. She then informed me of her brother, Kohaku, who had been resurrected once again by Naraku whom we presumed dead,"

Kaede frowned as she soaked in this information. She still felt her heart droop from his sudden leave so long ago, but couldn't help but forgive him. She knew that if she hadn't, he would never be the same cheery, loveable brother she had cared for so much. She nodded her head and smiled as he grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Kaede," Kagome called from the warmth of the hut, "You and Shippou come inside before you catch a cold,"

Kaede could hear Shippou's faint snort at her mother's remark and threw him an angry stare. She knew her mother meant well, even though she still hadn't grasped the fact that it was quite difficult next to impossible for demons, including half blooded, to catch colds with their immunity systems. She pushed herself up while Shippou followed-suit, and pulled back the door to the inside. Kaede's eyes darted around the small circle of friends who were huddled around the warmth of the crimson flames. She and Shippou joined the circle and gazed around at the faces which were glowing pigments of warm oranges and were also cast with shadows in the soft indents which formed their features. She could notice the tingling affliction curving Sango's features ever so slightly and only imagined that the previous discussion was about her brother.

"So," Kaede started to say while breaking the tension in the room, "What are we going to do about Naraku?"

There was a light pause to her words, where only the crepitation of the embers in the elemental light were heard. Finally, after letting his pursed lips break free, Miroku replied,

"Yes. Where are we going to start?"

"I really don't care where we start but we have to leave soon...I can't wait to get my hands on him," InuYasha rambled on without hesitation that his plan may be a bit far-fetched. Sango blinked a couple of times before she interjected,

"I sent Kilala to follow Kohaku. He'll probably lead us at least in a direction to where we could find Naraku,"

Kagome set her tea down gently, and focused on a good solid plan of action, but failingly, had nothing. As she continuously thought, she noticed InuYasha's attention-grasping glare at her. She rose a brow at his looks then watched as he repetitively peered from her to her daughter. Finally, Kagome caught onto what the half-demon was implying, and turned to Kaede and offered,

"You look tired, Kaede, you've been through a lot today, I think you should go get some shut-eye,"

Kaede did feel exhausted and wanted more than anything to agree, but knew it would seem too peculiar for her to concur. Besides, she wanted to stay around and discuss what action they were to take.

"It's alright. I'm fine," Kaede insisted while stifling back a yawn at the thought of slumber.

She saw a small glint in her mother's eyes that signified that it was not an option. Kaede frowned then stood and bid her goodnights to everyone. After she sedately pulled back the shoji to her room after she was inside, she rushed anxiously into her futon to capture the illusion of her rest. She didn't want to miss out on the conversation, so she forced herself to stay awake. After about fifteen minutes of unnecessary conversing that she knew were just for show until they had supposed she had fallen into slumber, Kagome discreetly pulled open the door just a smidgen to see if her daughter was asleep. Falling for the trick, she closed it once more then returned back to the conversation. Kaede's eyes peeled open and her ears perked up to eavesdrop on the speaking.

"We can't take Kaede with us. She's the protector of the jewel...Naraku would surely kill her and take the jewel in an instant. Besides she's only a child,"

She couldn't help but grunt in her mind and think,

'I am not just a child! I'm thirteen and I can protect myself,'

She was reverted back to the conversation when she heard her father's rough but steady voice,

"Well, we're sure as hell not leaving her here. We'll just have to leave her in your era with your mother, Kagome,"

Kaede clenched her fists with her father's betrayal towards her. She could feel her face grow hot as she fought back the urge to break down into tears.

'I'm much stronger than that,' she thought of her trapped tears as her lips curved into a grimace look and she loosened her fists before they bled from her long claws. Golden coloured eyes melted into her brown ones, as anger kept her in it's dark pulsing clutch.

"I understand, but you know Kaede. She's worse than you, InuYasha. Stubborn as hell. How will we get her to go?"

"We'll just have to force her. She has no choice in the matter...it's for her own safety,"

"So it's settled then, I guess. We bring Kaede to my era, kill Naraku, then bring her back home,"

'Not if I can help it,' Kaede once again let the anger squeeze her tighter.

She could feel her head begin to pound as she gathered all the scathing details that would be forced upon her, come next morning. She let her frustration drop to a soothing feeling as she heard someone pulling back the sliding door, yet, again. She squeezed her eyelids shut and waited with her breath shortening as she felt their silhouette tower over her. She relaxed as she heard them leave and felt tiny footsteps tip-toe up her covers. She opened one eye to see tiny Kilala meowing happily. She smirked then rubbed the demon-cat's head gently, and thought,

'Who knows...maybe they'll change their minds,'

After waking up and getting dressed, Kaede strolled outside to see everyone preparing for their journey. She delicately tossed her ebony locks back behind her and kept her mouth shut for the remainder of the time they took to prepare until she finally asked with suspicion, but did not dare show,

"So, which way are we headed?"

She slapped on a huge secure grin to try to melt their hearts to get them to change their minds, but knew that her performance would go unrewarded. All of them turned to her with weakened eyes, not one of them having the heart to tell her. Finally, Kagome found it even worse if they didn't say anything at all so she spoke up,

"Well, we're going to head west but we have some bad news, Kaede. We-,"

She paused for a worried sigh and continued,

"We can't take you with us. You're going to be staying with obaachan for a while in the modern era. Alright?"

Kaede felt frustrated tears burning her eyes as she shouted,

"So you just want to abandon me!"

Kagome's eyes widened with hearing her daughter's misinterpretation.

"No, no! We just don't want to see you get hurt!" Kagome cried while taking an assuring step towards her daughter but lost her breath in shock as her daughter took a step back away.

Kaede began to rub her nose arch with her thumb and index finger as a headache began to rupture. She muttered something through tears under her breath, as she bounded through the forest and headed for the sacred tree. She jumped up onto one of the limbs and sat with her arms folded against her chest, her heart pounding tenaciously in her chest. The rest of the group followed and stared up at her from the base of the tree. Kagome sighed helplessly. Kaede had always loved the Go-Shimboku. Maybe it was because so much had happened at that very tree between InuYasha and herself that her daughter felt a part of it. There was no true explanation, but it didn't matter. To Kagome, she figured that tree was the base of their whole family.

InuYasha twitched impatiently and shouted,

"Come on! Stop being like that, Kaede, and get down here!"

Kaede turned away from his glare and replied, "No way! I'll stay up here all day and sit if I must,"

She turned back suddenly when she heard a loud thud. She glanced down to see her father face first down in the saturated ground. She couldn't help but let a small snicker loose as she asked rhetorically,

"What's wrong with you? Can't stand on your own two feet?"

What she was quite unaware of, was the great power she had over her father that her mother had as well. The power of the rosary beads hung around his neck of subjugation. He got up furiously and muttered some cuss words as he leapt up into the tree and plopped himself on the limb to face her.

"Let's go, now," He demanded with a hint of real seriousness to his voice. It sort of weakened her because she knew that he was truly upset. But stubbornly, she stood her ground,

"I already told you, dad. I'm not moving from this very spot where I sit,"

His eyes enlarged as the beads pulled his body to the ground. Kaede couldn't help but feel completely confused...but only for a brief second before she curved her lips into an 'o' while arching a brow as she linked two-and-two together.

"Oh I get it! I can control you by saying _**sit**_!"

Once more, InuYasha was forced into the ground. Kagome cried up to Kaede to cease her subjugation as she carefully helped her mate up. Kagome had never told Kaede she would have the same power over her father. In fact, she had lied to her daughter and told her that the beads were worn out and that she no longer had the power over him. Just in case she _did_ have the power as well and would constantly recite the spell. But now that her daughter knew, and now in such a fragile state, who knew how many times she would choose to use it. Kagome finally became sick of this 'waiting-game' and commanded,

"Kaede get your butt down here now,"

She heard her groan, then free-fall from the high branch and in front of her parents. Her father sent her a deathly glare and Kaede gulped guiltily. He stood up straight, brushed the dirt off of him then pointed in the direction of their hut.

"Oh, mom, I'm going to miss you so much!" Kaede exclaimed through tears as she held her mother close. Kagome embraced her daughter then backed away in order to stifle back the salty liquid built up in her eyes. Kaede wore one of her 'modern-day' outfits that her mother had bought for her in any case that she had to visit the modern times. She wore a thick white halter top with a pleated blue skirt that used to belong to her mother when she was growing up in modern times. Her attention was grabbed insecurely by Shippou who pointed to the sack of belongings she had chosen to take with her,

"Hey, what's in the bag, Kaede?"

She cautiously stepped in front of the huge heavy bag sitting lazily (what _do_ bags do that is exciting?)in the morning sunlight. She smiled skittishly, as she fiddled with the sacred jewel uneasily. She finally summoned up a fib to what was hidden inside the sack,

"Oh, just some blankets and stuff like that,"

At first, Shippou seemed prying to her anxiety glazed voice, but shrugged off any questioning as she embraced him as a farewell. She nodded towards Miroku and Sango as she grinned half-heartedly, then settled her backside onto the timbered lip of the old bone gobbling well. As Kagome led the rest of the group a ways away, InuYasha accepted the privacy and took a seat beside Kaede. She fixed her gaze on her feet which were surrounded by a pair of white zori and began to drag them on the luscious sprouting grass as she felt her father's eyes pierce into her very soul.

"It won't be that long, trust me," InuYasha finally spoke with wisdom that went unnoticed as the young girl rejected his reassurance.

"How can I even trust you anymore, dad. You made a promise to me that you would take me on the next big adventure that arose and now, you went back on your word," He could even hear the tears swim beneath her eyes as she fought to keep them at bay. Her untamed sable bangs overcast the upper part of her face as she tried to lock away her sadness and weak contempt. He let out a soft distressed grunt before he uttered,

"I just don't want you to get hurt,"

She couldn't help but smile at his fatherly-protection, and decided that now was not the best of times to carry on her depression when her father had felt obligated to send her to safety. So she leaned on him with her head resting upon his sturdy shoulder and embraced him sideways until he turned and embraced her properly. He wanted her to be in his arms forever without having to leave her.

How he missed holding her in his arms when she was so very young, back when, ironically, the feudal times were to him, a peaceful period when no threats were punctured into their hearts. Unaware, he brought his daughter even closer as he continued to think about the times when she was only an infant and was unfamiliar to the feudal fantasy which was the life she was born into. He had remembered being bathed in the moon's radiance and sun's smooth beams as he recalled distant memories of adventures that he read to her as stories from his own mind. Her eyes, full of wonder and eagerness when such stories were told. As if she yearned for more thrill than he could offer in one simple night or morning. The childish faces she would make at him either to get his attention, or just to be her normal, playful self at times when life seemed dull to him. She was the light in his heart that could never be overcome by loathe for her or any other feeling of hate that he couldn't possibly dish out.

Softly, Kaede pressed off of his chest and smiled the famous mischievous grin she had acquired that had tugged on his heart blissfully since that day she was conceived. He smirked in return then stood and stepped back from the well as she prepared to jump in. She sought out her bag then gripped it into her left fist then waved goodbye to everyone with her right. She placed a foot onto the rim, then leapt inside as she was devoured by the time-traveling aura and pulled through. InuYasha gently bit the inside of his cheek as he figured that she was still deeply disappointed with him.

Kaede let out a deep exasperated sigh as she hopped out from the claustrophobic space and jogged up the creaky wooden boards used in the making of the steps. She pulled back the door and tried desperately to block out the annoying chirping of the birds.

'Well I see the birds still enjoy to press my nerves even in this era,'

She finally came to the house and knocked on the sliding door lightly but loud enough to be heard. Her grandmother carefully pulled back the door and beamed excitingly as her grand-daughter had finally arrived. She invited Kaede in, and blew back a faded lock of ebony hair and showed her to her guest room. Kaede only made a small sarcastic-like grunt when her assumptions of the room she would be staying in before she arrived would in fact be her mother's old room. She had noticed that her mother persisted on leaving Kagome's room the way it was for a guest-room but always reminded Kagome of a sort of 'shrine' to her. This always gave Kagome the shivers but knew that her mother's kind hearted actions were always under no speculation by her own self.

"I'll go make you some ramen. Is that alright?" her obaachan offered as she rubbed her moist hands on her pale yellow apron. Kaede nodded with a grin then hurled her bag onto the bed and collapsed onto the floor as she left the room. She twisted her feet back and forth in sudden boredom, then reached back over her shoulder and took hold of the bag she had carelessly tossed onto the bed. She pulled it in front of herself, and rested it gently on her lap. She pried open the tightened opening and delicately took out what she had placed inside before she had left.

Although her mother had insisted she leave her feudal clothes which would serve no purpose for her in the modern era, she secretly had stashed it away against her wishes. She placed the clothing to the side, then gripped the sheathe which protected her sword, the Tetshiega.

Her sword was very symbolic to her. Much like InuYasha's Tetsusaiga was to himself. It was created from the fangs of both her and her father and took approximately three years to make. It took a lot of pulling of teeth, which lead to a lot of childlike shrieks to form the sword but in the end, it was worth it. It resembled Tetsusaiga in a way, but was a bit thinner and was curved lower near the top. She placed the sword next to the clothing and continued to rummage deeper into the bag. She pulled out her bow and arrows and softly ran her finger's down one of the arrow's wooden spine and through it's bristle feathers then shoved the arrow and the rest of the arrows with the quiver to the side carelessly as she fingered her jewel; a habit she had picked up upon receiving it.

Kaede yanked the necklace from her neck and let a frustrated tear that had been dwelling at the corner of her eye for quite some time break out and land on the circular gem. She gazed down to it as it throbbed with a hazy pink glow. She narrowed her eyes as they reflected the light to see what was being shown to her. She watched as an image of her father ambled steadily away from the well. She scoffed as a hoard of realization of what she had agreed to, came back up on her like bitter vomit to her palette. Foolishly, she whipped the jewel across the room and it slammed against the wall and bounced off of it and onto the tatami floors. Her eyes began to grow out of proportion as she quickly crawled over to the jewel and held it between her slender feminine, yet, demon-like fingers. She sighed and fell on her back when she safely observed that the jewel was still intact.

As she lay there with not a sudden care in the world, the sweet scent of ramen curled into her nostrils from the kitchen where it was being made. Her lips twisted into a delighted smirk as her grandmother bellowed for her to come and eat. She sat up slowly and attached the Shikon no Tama back around her neck. She helped herself up and pressed on towards the kitchen.

About a month and a half had already gone by, and Kaede was already starting to get antsy. Helping out around the house for her obaachan, and helping with petty things around the shrine for her daisofu-sama had really started to become an irritating habit. She never hesitated to help when needed, but hated how everything she did, became a routine that kept repeating it's self almost every day. She had entertained herself at times; training with her weapons when no one was around, exploring the grounds, and many other pointless activities she had spent wasting as many hours, minutes, and seconds that she could. Her ojiki had made it a habit of taking her to restaurants and other sight-seeing-places, as he called them, many of times before in his sleek black Honda. When she rode in his car for the first time, she had speculated after her first ride, though, that it was more a ferocious demon than any 'normal car' that he had assured her of. He found it rather peculiar, and amusing that she could take to the sky at high speeds but couldn't take a small harmful car that traveled at minimum speeds (depending on the limits, of course).

She continued to sweep the shrine steps, until she heard a loud screech. She immediately dropped the ancient, but still intact, broom and raced towards the house in search of the cry. She stopped in her tracks and grimaced as she watched her uncle swing his returning girlfriend, Takara, in his muscular arms. Takara finally noticed the young girl and she smiled widely as she gave her boyfriend's niece a friendly embrace. Since the very first day Takara had been introduced to Kaede, she had always treated her like a little sister. Normally, Kaede would be annoyed with this, but surprisingly Takara had a warm feeling to her that had always kept Kaede's aggressive opinions and restlessness to herself. As if she were embarrassed to have a fit in her presence. Takara wasn't the most gorgeous thing Kaede had ever seen but she still had a certain unique beauty to her that she had sensed, when gone out to with her before, women envied. She had long copper colored hair the had black streaks running through and parted to her left a ways before her center part. She had big glistening brown eyes and spiky mascara coated lashes. She had a slender nose which was small even till the ball of her nose, and thick black eyebrows which were always shaped perfectly in a feminist way. Her lips were always left bare, since she had figured they were too small to spend a thought on. She had large ears which evened out on each side, but were the hated body part to Takara.

'Maybe,' Kaede thought, 'that's why Takara always keeps her hair down...to hide her ears,'

She didn't wear too much makeup, but it wasn't like she needed to. She was one of the few people who although were keen on plastering on makeup, never really needed it because of their natural fairness. Her fashion sense was always a classic style, with a sense of creativity that she would take time to put into her clothing. Today, Kaede observed her clothes and approved of the apparel. She wore a fitting black tank top with a loose turtle-neck which was part of the shirt, and a caramel leather jacket that shimmered every once in a while in the remaining sunlight. On her lower half, she had worn a regular slit brown mini skirt and long velvet black boots which reached up to her knees. Her makeup complemented her clothes as well including the odd jewelry here and there; a diamond minute sized nose ring, a pair of brown feathered earrings which dangled from her lobes, and a few golden bracelets.

Takara had just came back from visiting some relatives in China, where her father was born, and dropped by to be welcomed back. Kaede smirked as Takara babbled on about some useless information to Souta, and quietly exited the room. With the pattering of her light footsteps following her, Kaede returned to the outdoors to see her grandmother continuing Kaede's left chore. She finally noticed her grand-daughter standing a couple of feet away, and began to grin as she slowed down her sweeping to a stop. Kaede smiled then gently took the broom from her soft, slightly wrinkled hands and began to pick up where she had left off. The older woman smiled softly and began to say through the scratching noise of the broom's straw thistles rubbing against the ground,

"I have some good news for you,"

Her black dog ears twitched as she set her hearing on her obaachan's words.

"I talked to a friend of mine who's a principal at the local elementary school near by, and she says she would be able to work something out so that you can go there for a while. At least until your mother and father return,"

Kaede halted her actions and tightened her hold on the broom as she glanced to the side. She heard her obaachan gasp softly and heard her whisper her apologies. She knew how sensitive Kaede had become about being reminisced about the adventure her parents and friends had embarked on without her. Kaede nodded, accepting her apology and replied as she walked towards the house,

"Don't worry about it,"

She felt as if she was being cruel to her obaachan at the moment, but couldn't help but focus on herself at that time. She was just too wrapped up in everything to even think twice about it. She dragged her feet up the stairs and to the her guest bedroom, then collapsed onto the bed. She sunk her head into the pillow, and listened to the muffled conversation going on downstairs between Takara and her grandmother. With her eyes, she watched as the dust particles danced in the air through the gleaming sun beams which cast down into the bedroom. She made her way over to the window and ducked her head out to see two little children running around the shrine grounds, playing together. She snickered as her great-grandfather peeled the two children who began to throw tiny fists at one another apart.

'Who knows, maybe this 'school' thing will be a good way to get my mind off of everything,'

Kaede arrived at the new school and slouched to one side. It was a large building, with human children scattered around the yard around the school which made her tense. She adjusted her navy blue bandana, and trudged forward towards the crowds. She stopped dead in her tracks and twitched her right eye in irritation. She watched as a huge line formed in front of the school and constant chattering could be heard. She resisted the urge jump over the crowd and to the front of the line, remembering that she had to cover up most of her hanyou self. So hesitatingly, she joined at the back and kept quiet. Kaede wasn't quite sure of what to do next. Everyone sort of branched off while she was left standing dumbfounded in the middle of the hallway. She cursed herself silently.

'Baka! Why couldn't I have just put my 'cocky-self' aside, and taken the time to listen to what obaachan and ojiki said!'

That morning, while her grandmother and uncle tried desperately to inform her of the important notes she needed to be aware of when she arrived at school, Kaede had blocked them out and insisted that she wasn't 'that stupid' to know about school. 'Besides,' she had thought, 'Mom got through this 'school' just fine, so will I,' She was definitely wrong. She was too used to the feudal era, and knew only little of the modern times. Suddenly, she became a loner no more. At the end of the hall, she watched as a boy about a year younger held a clip-board and had a thin pen resting above his ear.

"And why aren't you in class?" He asked as if he really didn't care for the reason. He glared down at her, looking for a deceptive gleam in her eyes. She smiled, not noticing his glares, and replied innocently,

"I don't know where my class is, actually. You see, it's my first day and I–,"

"I really don't care! You get a slip for detention,"

Kaede cringed as he popped the pen open and pressed it's point to the paper attached to the clip-board.

"Oh and don't get in detention! That's a spooky place, with evil demons!" Souta had warned Kaede with much over-dramatic gestures. She remembered blinking a couple of times as he had kept his steady gaze on her as if _trying_ to lead her to believe that.

Even if it did seem all nonsense at the time, and she figured he was just making up such foolish remarks because he was trying to scare her, she still felt a wave of uneasiness curl over her. She scowled at the boy and ran in front of him in a mere second. She grabbed him by the front of the shirt and watched him cower in fear. She assumed her eyes had turned amber due to her frustration, as he stared blankly into her orbs.

"Now listen here," she began to threaten in a soft yet strong tone. She could sense the blood in his body pick up speed as her grip tightened the slightest, unnoticeable to her, bit. She couldn't help but smirk as he swallowed the saliva in his mouth in total fear.

"You are going to help me get to my class, right?" She smirked a toothy grin, bearing her canine fangs and felt him squirm beneath her grasp. He nodded and shrugged her off. He spun on his heel and briskly led her down the hall.

"By the way," she started to say in a kind voice, trying to relieve him of her latter demand and cruelty, "My name is Kaede,"

He glanced over his shoulder and said nothing. She snarled as they pressed on.

Finally, they reached a room, and Kaede stepped inside. She bit her lip nervously as dozens of eyes, including the teacher's, burned into her like fire. She quickly decided to take a step toward the teacher and quietly inform her of what had happened and of who she was. The teacher smiled warmly and nodded as she introduced her to the class,

"Class, this is Kaede. She will be joining us for a bit. Kaede,"

She paused and glanced over to the girl,

"I'm Mrs. Hamasaki,"

Kaede lent out her soothing tiny smile, which she only used for show at times, and followed the teacher's hand gestures which signaled to a seat near the back of the class. She nodded and walked through the aisle of desks, refusing the student's glares. She pulled herself into the seat, and waited for Mrs. Hamasaki to resume her lesson. As she turned her back to the students to continue writing a note they were to copy on the black-board, Kaede glanced near her right side to see a group of girls snickering under their breath as they looked her over. She especially noticed the one girl who had curly locks of brown hair and small girlish blue eyes. She glared into her with her nose up in the air like she owned the place.

'Anywhere but here, I'd put her in her rightful spot,' Kaede thought as she played a tiny scene of her pulling the girls delicate twisted hair and punching her in her snobbish little face. She looked over to the other girl who sat directly in front of the snobby girl. She had long black hair that was tied up in a tight ponytail, with her uneven bangs protruding inwards. She had deep brown eyes which seemed to reveal her summed-up life; a depressed teen always looking fake with happiness and always in the shadows of her best friend's beauty. Kaede then noticed the meek girl who was also laughing, yet, looked in dire need to be punished for such an act. It was like she was the only one of the trio who actually realized that ridiculing others for whatever reason, was _wrong_. She had short black hair with huge eyes that were tinted baby blue. Kaede was becoming annoyed with their snickers and decided to focus on her nails.

'Wow...they're really long,' She thought aimlessly as she rubbed one nail with another fingertip, failing to pay attention to the class lesson.

As the day went on, and Kaede was filled with total boredom, a subject came around which caught her hearing.

"Ok, class, it's time for history. Now today, we're going to be reading into the fictional part of our history. Feudal fairy tales, for a lack of a better word," Mrs. Hamasaki cooed as she wrote a title on the board once again. Kaede peered up from her quiet digging she had done into the desk with her fingernails to spell out her name from weariness.

She read the title carefully and listened as the teacher read it out loud,

"The Tale of the Demon and the Priestess,"

Kaede shifted in her seat as she listened intently to the story,

"Long ago, back in feudal times, there is a myth of a powerful stone formed that could grant both demons and humans their greatest desires. After being passed down through years and years in the hands of both evil and good, finally, a powerful priestess became the true protector of this sacred jewel. She was a solemn woman, who was bound to a life of servitude to the jewel to protect it with her life. Because of her duties as the protector of the jewel, she was banned from love. Though many men adored her for her beauty and power, she had never returned such a romantic feeling until one day, a demon had come to steal the jewel from the priestess but instead, ended up falling in love with her. She in return was secretly infatuated with him and they both agreed on using the jewel to turn the demon human so that her duties to protect the jewel would be shattered, and she would be able to be together with him. But the day they were to use the jewel, they were both full of hate towards one another and both killed each other. The jewel disappeared with the priestess's body, and was lost, with their love, forever. Only to be rekindled in the after life where they would spend eternity together,"

Kaede slammed her fists on the desk and stood. She was enraged at how this story was far from the truth when it came to important parts. Her mind was pulling her back in regret of the words that may slip from her mouth, but her heart wouldn't allow such a story to be left told wrongly. Mrs. Hamasaki and the students all looked up to her in wonder as she explained in anger,

"Wrong, wrong, wrong! First off, he was a half-demon, not a full demon. Second, true, they were pinned against one another, but not just for the heck of it! It was because of Naraku who tricked them both into thinking they hated each other! And Naraku had injured the priestess in the process of the trickery and the half demon was sealed to a tree! And thirdly, and most importantly, the jewel was burned with her body and reborn into her reincarnation and it was she who brought the half demon back from eternal slumber and they fell in love!"

She exhaled in sharp breathes as the class sat staring with mouths a gape, including the teacher, as she had gone on with the explanation. Kaede relaxed and nervously took a seat, nodding to represent her apologies of disruption. The woman shook off the student's rambling and began again,

"Well, now that, _that's_ settled, let's move on, shall we?"

'Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid...' Kaede thought as she bit her lip and lowered her head. Finally, the grief had hit her; her family had come up to haunt her, yet, **again**. She inhaled deeply then kept her mouth shut for the rest of the lesson.

Finally, the end of the day had come, and Kaede was the first one to get out of that school and out onto the yard. She looked around longingly for Souta, but figured he was running late to pick her up. She collapsed under one of the trees and pulled out her diary to pass the time. Takara had given it to her as a gift, and Kaede enjoyed writing in it. It was a way to focus her emotions instead of showing them physically. Her sunlight rudely blocked, she gazed up from her writing to see the three girls standing in front of her with the curly haired one standing as the ring-leader. She snatched the book from the unsuspecting half demon, and pranced away with it. Kaede desperately tried to get it back, but found it useless. It was too late as the girl flipped through the pages and announced,

"Oh! Here's her most recent entry!"

A crowd of girls and boys formed as the girl began to read out loud,

"Dear Diary,

I don't think I can take much more of this modern era. It's driving me crazy! The feudal era is much better. Fighting demons is way more exciting than sitting around all day doing nothing like these boring human children do. I'm glad mom lives with us in the Sengoku Jidai. I've realized from hearing about Kikyo's dedication to the jewel, that protecting the Shikon no Tama is my duty, now,"

All the children stepped away from Kaede as the girl stopped her reading. Kaede could hear bits and pieces of their chatter such as, "Is she an alien?", "Did she just say she lives in the Sengoku Jidai?!", "Demons? What demons?!". Coming up behind her, the curly haired foe exclaimed viciously before yanking the bandana off of her head,

"Maybe it's got something to do with this stupid bandana!"

Everyone gasped in shock as Kaede's black dog ears tweaked. The girl backed up cautiously and screamed,

"What a freak!"

These words pierced Kaede's heart like a blade. Her eyes turned golden from deep embarrassment. She grabbed her diary and leapt into the air and landed on the school roof. She didn't care anymore. They had seen so much all ready that it didn't matter. She jumped from the roof and continued to run and glide through the air all the way home.

She burst through the kitchen and up the stairs to her mother's old room, where she collapsed onto the bed and began to cry into her pillow. After her sobs had shortened, and her tears had dried, she lifted her head with a smug look. Traces of tears made paths on her cheeks and made her eyes puffy red. She slid her hand under the bed and yanked out the bag she had brought when she first came to the time period. She quickly got dressed and slung her quiver and bow over her shoulder. She attached her sheathe with her sword protected by it under her sash. She tip-toed down the stairs and wrote a quick note for her grandmother, great-grandfather, uncle, and Takara,

Dear obaachan, daisofu-sama, ojiki, and Takara,

I'm sorry, but I had to leave. I need to go find the ones who have forgotten about me. Please do not worry about me, I'll be fine. I can protect myself. I'll try to get in touch with you when our journey is over. Thank you so much for letting me stay with you, and for putting up with me for so long. Love,

Kaede

She knew that Takara wouldn't understand, so she left it in her family's hands to decide whether or not to inform her, or not tell her at all of the letter. She slowly crept out the back door and onto the shrine grounds where she continued to inch towards the time traveling well. She silently pulled open and closed the door, then came to the side of the old well. She glanced down, it's own darkness eating up the darkness stored in the shack and stopped suddenly when a wave of hesitation came over her.

'What if I'm making a mistake?' She thought as she stared blindly at the cracks in the darkened well-house. The twinkling thread from the spider web fanned out at the corner of the hut caught her attention as she continued to be entranced in deep thought. Finally, she stashed away any wavering conceptions, and jumped down into the dark well, where the mystical aura and shadowed well gobbled up her entire being.

As she safely reached the bottom of what seemed to her at times, bottomless, she leapt out into the frigid temperatures of winter.

'Time has gone fast,' she thought as she trudged through the heavy snow build. She took in a large whiff of air, with any foolish notions of catching a faint scent of her family on the waves of air blowing around her. She had lost track of how long she had been gone, which frustrated her as she stepped lightly through the snow towards the forest in search of civilization.

Dark shadows gloomed in every corner of the ominous room, as if feasting on any traces of light to be found. The floor reeked with corpses and blood stains carpeted the wooden walking ground. At the dimmest corner, where only the glow of his silhouette throbbed, Naraku sat in silence. His face lit briefly as the mirror before him reflected the subdued light upon the his right side. His red, heartless, gaze softened as he was entranced in the demonic child's lifeless black stare. Her pale features gave the illusion of her fragileness, as if struck, would break into thousands of pieces. Her delicate palms held the mirror that matched her complection, and her demon creator, Naraku, glared into what was being shown. Kaede, walking through the snow from the well was dancing in the mirror's reflection.

"That girl..." He began to ponder out loud to himself, "She's just a mere child...she is no threat,"

Peculiarly, she saw a small shake in Kana's entrancing endless eyes that he could not escape even if he tried. He had never misjudged Kana, even for the slightest reasons. In a way, she was an advisor. He choked back a small grunting laugh and retaliated,

"Well, then. According to your fiendish judgement on this girl, I'll send a demon to kill her, anyway, just in case,"

With this, the demonic limbs scattered around the castle for no just cause began to shake as Naraku's amended orders were called out, and the ground beneath the fields just outside the gloomy reeking castle began to swirl with the colliding winds which revolved around one specific spot. And a creature rose from the sequestered grave.

Kaede shivered as the cold began to reach temperatures that began to blow her mind. The pale skies which cried frosty tears, began to turn baleful greys with thick darkened clouds. She slowly reached for her sword's handle and took a tight grip on it, as she braced herself for what was ahead. She gazed towards the area of land in front of her and began to back up cautiously as a low rumbling was vibrating the earth beneath her feet. She was hurled backwards as swirling winds thrust towards the area where she peered upon, and watched as the smokes settled. She felt the wet snow melt below her finger tips as she pushed herself up out of the snow. She observed the demon standing before her.

He was a tall demon, very large actually with a type of mythical helmet on with golden lining. Two demonic horns curled out from it's head through the helmet which made Kaede's fingers twitch in anticipation. His glowing red eyes, which were the only visible feature to his face, kept it's lustful glare for blood focused on her golden ones which were filled with both detest and sheer fright. The pungent aroma of blood reeked on his claws. Like a permanent stain that could not be washed away. As if it had clashed with it's natural, intoxicating scent which stung her sense of smell. She observed his weaponry choice, and found it very odd...at least for a demon of his characteristics and size. Slung over his shoulder, was a thick black bow and black arrows that were grouped into the dark quiver that looked as if even _it_ could attack. Kaede flexed her claws and smirked. The battle was ready to begin.


	7. Seeing is Believing

You know the Drill I own nothing….cause I'm but a child and suck horridly… I blame the government.

Seeing is Believing

Kaede opened her heavy weak eyes in drowsiness. As she sat up and reflected on all that had happened, she couldn't help but be a tad surprised to where she was; 'InuYasha's Forest'. She glanced around to her surroundings. Everything was so calm and peculiar. The blades of grass were all perfectly aligned as well as the summer green shaded leaves which rested on the tree limbs. The sky was filled with pastel colors which faintly glowed with the sun, and the clouds reflected the pastel colors as well with their wispy designs. Kaede glared down to her body, only to find all her injuries completely healed. Not even markings were left from the glass or arrow. She stood with a shaky after-shock, then scuffled down the hill to the creek. She stared down to her reflection to see her hair dun up in a ponytail with the two hairpieces near the front hanging loose like her bangs. She looked down past her haori and to her waist and beyond to find herself wearing a long green skirt with large pleats. She crawled back up to the hill and sat in confusion. It was so calm with a light breeze that blew around her body as she continued to ponder. Everything was so perfect, which meant something was definitely wrong.

"There you are," A voice cooed with a slight chuckle. She turned to the voice with her eyes full of resentment and surprise. Kikyo frowned at the young girl's hate for her and winced at her painful remarks,

"It can't be! I killed you! You're dead! I saw it with my very own eyes!"

Kaede stood and couldn't help but crack her knuckles in defense as the dead priestess reached out to her in reassurance and pleaded,

"Please, Kaede. Just listen,"

Kikyo took a seat on the hill in an effort to get Kaede to sit as well. Kaede released the tension built on her shoulders from anger, and sat down beside Kikyo cautiously. Her suspicious glare softened as Kikyo began to explain,

"I'm not supposed to be in this world that we are in now, but I snuck inside to make sure I could help you in any way possible,"

Kaede stopped her right after her last word,

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight...you wanted to help me? I don't believe a word of this! You're the one who wanted to kill me!"

Kikyo softly twisted her features in a melancholic way as she took in the young teen's words. Kaede's glare stayed fixed on the priestess as she dragged her words out desperately,

"I'll explain everything..."

Lady Kaede carefully pulled up the silky blankets laying ruffled up on the futon as she shouted,

"Quick, child! Bring her inside here, the poison is spreading!"

InuYasha shoved past the rickety hanging door and bustled inside towards the futon with his daughter in his arms. A trail of blood droplets followed his steps from his daughter's severe wounds. Behind him, came Kagome who continuously bit her nails in worry to her daughter's conditions. The deep gash in her chest that was bandaged up was quite unbearable, but she did everything in her power to ignore the wound and focus on her daughter's well-being. InuYasha on the other hand, had his wound dripping with his blood, but didn't seem to notice. He set his daughter down onto the futon and Lady Kaede handed him ropes.

"What are those for?" Kagome asked uncertain with Lady Kaede's intentions.

"We must tie her up so that she is kept under control," Lady Kaede replied uneasily.

Kagome held a blood stained hand to her forehead in worry and paced off to the side as InuYasha began to tie his daughter's wrists together as well as her ankles. Kagome ambled to InuYasha's side and all three peered down to the young girl who's eyes were completely white and she continuously shook like she was dying. InuYasha finally spoke and turned his gaze from his daughter to the old miko,

"She looks horrible. What do we have to do to help her?"

"We have to take each glass piece out, before the poison from the shards of glass spreads throughout the body which could kill her," Kagome let out a small gasp before Lady Kaede could continue,

"And this poison is one of the most deadliest of all. Each shard holds a piece of a depressing memory or of the future. Each piece will poison her one by one, until she is devoured by darkness. We must work as quickly as possible. First I must figure out where the first memory piece is...I'll need ye both to leave for a few moments,"

InuYasha frowned as he stared at his daughter with pity and sadness. He shook his head in regret then made his way outside without a word. Kagome walked towards the doorway and softly pulled back the hanging door with her hand. Her brown eyes darted over to her half demon mate who sat looking out aimlessly.

Kikyo placed her hand on her knee as her words flowed softly from her thin pale lips,

"For some time after you were born, I was taken captive by Naraku and was forced to kill your mother and father. But I refused to take part in such a cruel despicable act and fled from his castle as an escape. But one night, when my soul collectors left to find more souls, Naraku found me and slipped a snake demon into me. These demons are unlike any other. They act as a type of sorcery which can be used to control others and maybe even have the power to resurrect. This demon took over my body and brought out feelings of hatred and disgust. I had really no idea of what I was doing...only a few flashes here and there, but it didn't matter. When I awoke, Naraku informed me of what he had done and what I had almost done because of his control on the snake. I tried to kill him, but failed hopelessly. He then made sure that I would kill your parents and retrieve the Shikon No Tama. But after my recent death, I made sure I did all that I could to help you by coming into this world to warn you,"

"I...I killed you...when you were innocent all along," Kaede sobbed with what she had done.

"No you did not, Kaede. I was not meant for a second chance at life. And you did it to save your family. You didn't kill me...you set me free," Kikyo consoled with a small reassuring smile. There was a moment of silence, where only the cool breeze blew by the pair to represent Kaede's pondering thoughts.

"So what happens now?" Kaede asked in a meek voice.

"Each shard of glass that is in your body holds a dark memory, or a dark part of the future that has to do with either your family or yourself. At this moment, in the world of the living, your family and my sister are trying to save you by taking the pieces out from your limp body. But to help yourself as well, you must be cautious of what happens. Naraku may try to toy with you by adding in illusions that will make you suffer more so please be careful. In this world, you must use your mind over strength," Kikyo warned with a small rapidness to her tone. Kaede lowered her head letting silky ebony strands of hair slip off her shoulder.

"Kikyo...I'm so sorry," Kaede uttered with sorrow. Kikyo placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and pleaded,

"No, please, do not mourn for me or else the poison will spread more than it already has. You have to try your best to stay strong to stay alive. I am free now and I will always be with you in spirit as your guardian. Please tell InuYasha that he'll always be in my heart,"

Kaede grinned and softly took the priestess into her arms to embrace her. Kikyo gasped in astonishment, but soon relaxed and embraced the girl as well. Kikyo gently broke the embrace and stood up before Kaede. The calm breeze returned once more as Kikyo gradually vanished. The first shard had been taken out.

"Ah there we are," Lady Kaede said as she held the glass which was tainted with blood in her wrinkly palm. She placed it to the side then bandaged up the remaining wound.

Outiside, Kagome had taken a seat beside the hanyou and joined him in staring out to the horizon. Ever since they had woke from the attack from Kikyo, InuYasha had kept distressed solemn features and hadn't really spoken a word. Kagome didn't turn her gaze to him as she asked,

"InuYasha is there something wrong? You seem to be in deep thought,"

She knew he obviously was upset with what had happened, but had a strong feeling that there was more to it. He cast his gaze down then back up to her's and replied,

"I put both you and Kaede in danger...it's all my fault,"

She shook her head and cried,

"No! InuYasha this is not your fault,"

When he turned away from her, she couldn't help but feel her heart slop down in her chest. She reached to place her hand on his shoulder, but hesitated and began to let crystal tears which shone in the remaining light fall down the sides of her face. He caught the small stench of salt from her tears and glanced over his shoulder to see what was the matter. He turned his body back towards her and grasped her hand delicately. She couldn't help but curve her lips ever so slightly as he guided her hand to his soft velvety dog ears. She began to rub them and chuckle underneath her breath as he smirked in content. She threw her arms around his neck and he held her close to him.

"InuYasha...do you remember our adventures together?" She whispered as her chin rested on his shoulder. As she brought up their past, both simultaneously remembered their special memory at the well. In Kagome's mind, the memory that stuck out the most was that oh so sweet time when she finally realized how much she had loved him. She softly pushed off of him and shared her theory with InuYasha,

"I have a strong feeling Naraku is behind all this...we have to go after him,"

InuYasha nodded and glanced to the side as he remembered what had happened once he had run out of the hut in need of assisting his mate. He remembered seeing Kikyo just for a moment, and not being able to dodge her surprise attack. He remembered seeing all her detest and anger towards him summed up into her glaring dark eyes. He shook off his thoughts then stood with Kagome and both made their way into the hut. Lady Kaede was gently dabbing the young half demon's forehead with the wet cloth as she twitched uncontrollably. InuYasha came to her side and picked up the first piece inquisitively as he slightly jerked it looking into his reflection. Startling, in the piece he saw a glimpse of Kikyo smiling. He slammed the piece down. Kagome examined his movements carefully. After placing the shard down, he stepped away from it as if nothing had happened.

'That's odd,' Kagome thought at her mate's peculiar behavior.

"So how exactly do these things work?" InuYasha speculated referring to the glass shards. Lady Kaede took the shard he had put down and glared from the piece, back to InuYasha and decided,

"Why don't I show ye,"

Kaede handed Kagome another set of ropes and she began to tie his wrists and ankles together like they had done for Kaede.

"Is this really necessary?" InuYasha asked conspicuously to the knots. The elder nodded and began to explain,

"If we do not tie ye up, who knows what might happen since we do not know how ye will react to the poison. I shall put this piece in ye for only a brief time, then we will take it out. Beware, though, InuYasha, things aren't always what they might seem, but seeing is believing,"

"Be careful," Kagome pleaded, unaware with what was going to happen. InuYasha smirked and nodded and replied courageously with some cockiness,

"Keh! It's just some stupid little shard...I can take it,"

She smirked as well with his attitude then took a step back as Lady Kaede pierced the piece into his arm which let a drop of blood roll down his arm. Kagome watched in shock as InuYasha's eyes rolled back and turned completely white as Kaede's, and began to twitch.

InuYasha opened his eyes and peered around to his surroundings. He finally realized he was on the mountain side which overlooked the forest right by the village. He remembered always coming there with Kikyo. That was their special spot which he had always held dear. But he couldn't understand why he was there. His name was whispered from behind him by the familiar priestess whom he had loved once before. He slowly and carefully turned around to face Kikyo and couldn't help but smirk when she grinned selflessly and came up to him. Kikyo rested her hands on InuYasha's chest and gazed to the side as she let a light sigh out.

"It was Naraku who was controlling me. Both times when I attacked you," Kikyo briefly explained with a hint of grief pinching her oh so sudden words. InuYasha cursed Naraku quietly but disregarded of these thoughts for the moment as Kikyo spoke.

"Do you remember this place, InuYasha?" Kikyo inquired with slight gleeful raise to her voice as she gracefully let her footsteps twir. Her elegant path brought her body with her steps to the tree which had accompanied their memories from that spot. InuYasha couldn't help but smile as she childishly hugged the tree and swung herself around it's bark with no real cause.

"Of course I do, Kikyo, that was back when you were full of life and happiness," He replied with his amusment melting into regret. Kikyo continued to sway around the tree and through the strands of grass as she replied with a small chortle,

"Ah, yes. Back when I was burdened with the jewel. You know, I never really had a life when I was living," She stopped in her tracks and smirked as he watched her with a peculiar questioning of his features, and continued,

"How ironic, yes,"

InuYasha frowned and watched her start to prance around once again.

"Kikyo...I'm sorry I chose Kagome," He managed to let out in anguish. He hadn't regret his decision on choosing Kagome, but he knew that she deserved his apologies anyhow for abandoning their so called resurrected love. She stopped once more and answered with a slight consoling tone,

"Don't be. It wasn't my destiny to be with you or anyone for that matter. The life I lived was not meant for me. It was a life of responsibilities and burdens that just got in the way of everything I did. The life I was meant for was a life of freedom,"

She stepped up closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she whispered,

"Now that I have this chance to say goodbye to you properly, I'm not going to waste it,"

She softly pressed her lips onto his and let her eyelids fall. He couldn't help but kiss her back as a final goodbye. She broke the kiss and stroked his cheek with her thumb before whispering,

"Goodbye, InuYasha"

InuYasha smiled as Kikyo faded away. He was glad that she was free of the life she loathed and was glad that he got to see her one last time to say goodbye. As his thoughts turned dry, his gaze darted to the far tree. He watched as Kagome stepped away from the trunk in utter confusion and disgust. His memories crept back up on him and tugged at his remembrance to the deja vew of the same situation that had happened so long ago. He couldn't believe what was happening. In fear of repeating his past mistakes, he reached out to her and cried for her to stop as she scampered back through the patch of forest behind her. He gained on the girl and took hold of her arm and spun her around. He released his hold and took himself back a bit when he saw it to be Kaede instead of Kagome. Kaede sniffled a bit then cast her gaze over her father's shoulder and let her bottom lip fall into a gasp. She rushed into her father's arms and planted her foot behind him as she spun him around with her. Though baffled at first, InuYasha soon came to realize of what was happening the second an arrow came soaring towards Kaede's back, sinking it's sharp head into her flesh. He could feel her tremble beneath him as the arrow began to paralyse her.

"Kaede!" InuYasha's scream crackled as his daughter slipped lifelessly from his grasp. He bent down and lifted her head in his hand as she lay limp on the ground which he kneel on. He placed her head down delicately then stood, searching the skies as if looking for an answer for them to give. He clenched his jaw and rested his head back in it's regular aligned position to see who his daughter's murderer was. He took a step back, stunned to see Kagome with the bow in her hands. He examined her abused body which was constantly bleeding, battered, and bruised. Her eyes were a deep red which seemed to be in a trance like state. He watched horrifically as she dropped to her knees then fall down flat with a splosh in her own pool of blood. He could feel his rapid heartbeat beating in his head as he glanced from his deceased daughter and mate. He glared to the body towering over his mate's body and began to let a low growl vibrate in his throat. There in his baboon-fur and blue mask, stood his foe, Naraku. He could hear his sinister sadistic laugh which ridiculed the lives of the two most important people in his life. InuYasha's arms and shoulders began to shake ferociously as he threatened,

"Naraku! I'll kill you!"

"Get the piece out!" Lady Kaede shouted as she was shoved to the corner by the half demon who had broke free of his ropes and was going on a rampage. Kagome's fear danced in her eyes as she glared at InuYasha who was ripping through the very last shreds of the ropes. She hesitated at first with when to jump in, then threatened to rush into his arms. She threw her arm around to his and grasped the shard's tip. At the corner of her eye, she could see his memorized colourless orbs and braced herself for the blow, but kept a strong hold on the tip. He whipped her across the room and she went flying into the farthest wall. He collapsed as soon as the glass was taken out and began to hyperventilate while keeping his returned golden eyes to the floor. He rose his head and took his gaze to the other side of the hut where Lady Kaede was helping Kagome up. InuYasha's thoughts were tingling as what had gone on in the other world from the shard of glass began to fuse with what was going on now in this world. He brought his knee up and planted his foot firmly on the floor as he used it to support his body in standing up. He bustled over to his mate's side and analysed her face and body to see if it was actually her. He then brought her close to his body and began muttering, which sounded more like sobs,

"I'm glad you're alright...I was so worried,"

She rose a brow as he backed up off of her and apologised without thinking of the upfront comment he was about to say with his apologies,

"I'm so sorry, Kagome. It's just that Naraku had killed you and Kaede and I-,"

"What?!" Kagome exclaimed with the inquisitiveness cradling her worried cries. Not knowing how to explain himself, Lady Kaede noticed his stutters, and stepped in,

"Now ye know part of the future and can stop it from happening,"

Kagome lowered her gaze as Lady Kaede went back over to Kaede to find the next piece. InuYasha took Kagome by the hand and swore to her that he would never let anything happen to her. Kagome sighed with her eyes darting to the side as they followed the old priestess.

Meanwhile, Kaede sat on the hill with only her thoughts to accompany her. Her attention was drawn to the creek as she heard a small rustling. Without warning, she was somewhere else. She glanced around to find herself in her grandmother's kitchen. She finally noticed who was with her in the room when she heard a light child-like voice coming from the living room. She slowly pulled back the rice-paper sliding doors and peered inside the room to see her mother kneeling down on one of the soft beige coloured cushions while holding her baby self with a tiny Shippou climbing up on Kagome's shoulder. Shippou began to scurry back and forth all over her body in any way he could to get a good look at the baby hanyou his mother figure held. His auburn hair fluttered as he kept jumping from one spot to the next. Kagome only chuckled inwardly and began to gently rock baby Kaede in her arms. As she stare deeply into her daughter's shimmering brown eyes. She could feel her eyes start to grow heavy full of tears. As she closed her eyes in an effort to keep her tears at bay, she found them spilling past her eyelashes and down her cheeks.

"Kagome, what's the matter?" Shippou asked in concern as he wiped her tears away with his tiny hands.

"I just wish InuYasha were here with us," Kagome answered with cracks in her voice. She soon found herself sobbing incoherently in spite of herself. Kaede let a small sigh blow out past her lips. She tensed up and could feel the hairs stand up on her back as she heard Naraku's rough cruel voice from behind her. She had never seen his face before, but she had known all the pain he had inflicted on her family and friends.

"It's alright, Kaede, once your parents are dead there will be no more suffering,"

He placed his clammy hand on her shoulder and gave it a rough squeeze. Kaede growled underneath her breath then remembered Kikyo's words about using your mind other than strength. She opened her clenched fists in front of her and an arrow appeared in her hands. She took hold onto the carved wood and spun around, thrusting the arrow into Naraku's stomach. She spun around with a dominating look but stepped back when she lost her remaining breath. She had shoved the arrow into her father instead of Naraku. In the back of her mind, she knew none of it was real, but just the thought of hurting InuYasha made her eyes glaze over with tears. She screamed for her father to wake up which was useless. She collapsed and began to cry into her hands at what she had done.

"She...she's crying," InuYasha uttered as he watched tears build up near the bottom of her eyes and break free and travel down her temple as she lay there.

"Alright, only a few more to go," Kaede announced to the couple as she took out another piece,

"We have to hurry, though, she's dying,"

Kagome covered her gaped mouth in worry and continued to pace once again. She glanced outside to see the sun almost completely set.

Kaede was again teleported to a different place but this time, she could not pin-point where she was. Everything was dark and gloomy and the air was thick with fog. Out from the fog, came a woman with long black hair with a small clump of hair tied with a silky white ribbon. She had the most beautiful eyes Kaede had ever seen; a deep brown with long eyelashes fanning out at the sides. The woman smiled down to Kaede who found herself in a sitting position when she was moved, and couldn't help but return the friendly gesture. The woman bent down and placed her slender hands on her knees as she asked,

"My name is Rin. I'm looking for my lord, Sesshomaru. Have you seen him?"

Both the woman's and her lord's name was stored away somewhere in her mind, but she made no effort to go out of her way to think of where she had heard them before, so the woman continued,

"He says he's looking for a half demon girl...have you seen one?"

The woman took no attention to think that the girl in front of her was a half demon. Kaede couldn't help but look to the woman dumbly and think,

'This woman isn't all there,'

Kaede froze when she saw the silhouette of a taller, muscular figure tower over the two who came from the fog. Once he came in to view, Kaede observed his most profound features. He had small eyes with golden colour to them like her father, but his was more darker and eye-catching. He also had markings on his face which included a crescent moon on his forehead. But his feature that appealed to her the most was his long silky silver mane which reflected the moon beams above.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin squealed as the dog demon joined up beside her. She glanced up at him and asked curiously,

"Have you found the half demon yet?"

He didn't bother to answer her question, since he had already began to make his way towards Kaede. She backed up cautiously then finally pushed herself up and ran from the demon lord in fear. As she ran, she started to become eloped in the darkness of the forest.

Lady Kaede took out another shard of glass from the girl's body and placed it to the side with the others. They had worked out a system; Lady Kaede pulled out the pieces, and Kagome tended to her daughter's wounds. As InuYasha watched, his ears began to twitch. He gazed up to the ceiling, then rushed outside to inspect the noise he had heard. He jerked his head up to the roof as he saw a faint figure grace by his view. InuYasha leapt onto the roof and grabbed the mysterious person by their long rust colored tail which was emitting a hazy glow from the pale moonlight. The figure was pulled back and it's jaw was dragged across the roof, letting a surprised cry echo. They glanced over their shoulder and grinned from ear-to-ear.

"InuYasha?" he called to him as he flipped over on his back and sat up. InuYasha still couldn't quite tell who it was so, being his usual snippy self, he barked back,

"Who the hell are you?"

He heard the mysterious man chuckle under his breath and mutter,

"You haven't changed a bit,"

InuYasha finally caught sense of who it was,

"Shippou?"

Shippou smirked and cupped his hand near his mouth as he called down,

"I found him!"

InuYasha peered over the edge to see Miroku and Sango standing beside one another while glancing up to InuYasha as he did them. InuYasha hopped down after Shippou and was astonished to see how grown up he had become by examining him in the captured slits of light coming from the hut. He was almost as tall as him and his body was well built, which were obvious signs of training. His hair was still dun up and tied with only a short bundle of hair flaring out. He had dark green eyes and fanged teeth as always. He had worn the same clothes he had as a child, with the same dark blue pants with larger fox paws for feet. He smirked at InuYasha and teased with a sly remark,

"What do you think? Do I look better than the bratty kid I used to be?"

InuYasha smirked then clenched his fist and wacked Shippou upside the head like he always used to do. Shippou glanced down the ground as his head began to throb and InuYasha snickered,

"You look better...but to me? You'll always be a bratty little kid,"

Sango and Miroku couldn't help but laugh at the kitsune's attempts to 'wow' his childhood idol.

"InuYasha," Kagome's muffled voice was heard from inside as she came to the doorway and pulled it back,

"Who are you ta-,"

She cut short when she was lifted into the air by a pair of strong arms. She let a small 'oh' out as a tiny yelp until she gazed down to see her kitsune 'adopted' son. He swung her around playfully and she laughed giddily. As he set her down, she wrapped her arms around his neck and was forced to stand on the tips of her toes to reach his level.

"Well look at you, Shippou! All grown up," She exclaimed in excitement with seeing the fox demon. She glanced over his shoulder and noticed Miroku and Sango as well. She rushed into Sango's arms and they both giggled like little school girls. She backed up with her hands resting on Sango's shoulders and smiled. She then turned to Miroku and rushed into his arms as well. As she hug him she exclaimed happily,

"Miroku!"

"Yes, Kagome?" he asked gleefully as well.

"Place a hand on my bottom, and I'll break it off," She warned while still keeping her happy tone. Sango chuckled under her breath at her 'sister's' threats then watched as Kilala nestled into Kagome's open grasp. Kagome grinned and stroked the cat's fur in content then led them all inside.

Everyone stood around Kaede's body in search of the last glass shard. They all examined her body but found nothing.

"It has to be somewhere, she's still in a trance!" Kagome shouted uselessly. Shippou then noticed the deep blood stain leaking on the sheets near her neck and pointed it out to the rest. Miroku traced the blood path with his fingers to the back of Kaede's neck and brushed the back of her neck until her felt a sharp tip.

"It's in there alright, and it's in there good," Miroku began to explain as he cleaned his finger tips with the cloth Kagome had offered, "We're going to have to be careful how we get it out,"

There was a brief silence which InuYasha couldn't stand,

"Well don't just stand there old woman, get it out!"

Kaede had grown tiresome of constantly being moved around from place to place and now, was getting upset with guessing where she was. Her eyelids fluttered as she got up off of the wooden floors on which she lay. She gazed around the room but found no one in sight. She stood and made her way over to the sliding doors which had a faint pink glow behind them and pulled the door back and slowly ambled into the hall. She kept her finger-tips to the wall as she tried to find her way through darkness. She finally came to another sliding door, and pulled it back to reveal a little girl at the corner of the room. She entered cautiously and came up behind the little girl who was completely white. The little girl turned to her, revealing her mirror's image to Kaede. Kaede gasped and ran from the room in fright of what she saw: her mother cut and beat, bleeding uncontrollably. As she took a step from the room, she was pushed back which made her fall to the floor with a thud. She growled when she saw Naraku standing before her with his wavy black locks hanging down. He bent down and took her by the throat, piercing his nails into her neck, with her blood slipping through the cracks of his fingers. Desperately, she slashed at his throat with her long demonic nails and did a back-flip off of his shoulders and onto the floor. She scoffed at him through a cocky snicker but stopped when she felt herself start to bleed for no apparent reason. She dropped to her knees then collapsed onto her back.

She peeled open her eyes to find herself still in the castle but looking up to Kikyo. Kikyo smiled and whispered to the exhausted girl,

"You're free,"

Kaede felt her eyes grow heavy, then she blacked out.

Lady Kaede delicately took the shard from the hanyou's neck and placed it to the side. Sango snatched the cloth and held it to the wound to stop the gushing blood from trickling down her neck. They watched as Kaede's eyelids closed and she stopped her shaking.

"Kaede?" Kagome cooed anxiously, trying to wake her daughter. Kaede's eyes shot open and she sat up as fast as she could, gasping for air as if she had been suffocated. Her eyes had gone back to their usual vivid brown. She was confused and frightened at first, considering that she was tied up and bleeding, but the ropes were cut by Shippou and her security returned to her. As she faced all the people surrounding her, she jumped into her mother's and cried onto her shoulder. As she broke the hug and collapsed into her father's embrace, InuYasha began to think,

'Kaede...I won't let Naraku get a hold of you...ever. I won't risk losing you,"

I'm so sorry guys for the UBER LONG update I've been really busy as of the past year with school and grades falling and such. So please give me another chance I'm putting in a TON of chapters… sp please read and review -


	8. The Journey Begins

I own…my PS2 but not InuYasha V-V

The Journey Begins

Kaede's eyes knocked back and forth as she quickly examined her opponent's moves. He leapt to the side then straight in her direction with a large katana slashing the path before him. Startled, she bound herself backwards in order to avoid his swipes. Missing her, the demon landed on one knee and knuckle onto the ground with acrobatic movements. It rose into a standing position, taking heed of her actions. He was a large demon, length wise, which seemed to intimidate her. She clenched her jaw, trying to rid herself of the shaky daunt feelings built up deep in the pit of her stomach. She foolishly rushed forward without thought of how to approach the situation; a trait she had half-wittedly picked up from her father. He blocked the sword with his own and stepped to the side with his long, piercing claws ripping towards her. Before he could touch her, though, she had turned briskly to the side and was only slashed at her shoulder. The impact forced her back-a-ways, where she slid on her behind and tumbled along the ground. She stood furiously with her knees beginning to cave in as she held her shoulder with as much pressure as she could offer. Blood slowly began to roll through the cracks in her fingers and over them as the wound began to break free of the pressure forced on it.

As he came after her once more, she released her grasp and held out her hand which was dripping with blood from holding her cut shoulder, and concentrated her spiritual powers all around the demon. Disappointingly, though, her powers, now weak since her injury, only sparked enough to shatter his arm. Her eyes followed the ashes that poured out after his shattered limb, intrigued with what he actually was. Recollecting distant teachings Lady Kaede had so wisely drilled into her mind, she realised that the creature was made of ashes.

'It's...an 'ash-demon',' her scattered thoughts focussed.

'Ash-demons' were unlike any others. They were formed from the ashes of a dead demon, whether good or bad, into malicious demons that were forced to do the summoner's work without any doubts. Their soul remained at the core of the formed demon, waiting to be reawakened by a spiritual healer (such as a priestess) or released to the afterlife.

Kaede's gaze targeted on the fallen ashes as they gathered once again to join at his shoulder joint. Her toe joints cracked as she forced her body into a crouching position with her hand gripped tightly onto the handle of her sword. She sprung forward thrusting to the side and slashing through his body with the fanged sword. She stood from a distance, gazing upon the scattered residue in triumph. She gasped as the ashes rose once more back into the towering figure she was beginning to grow weary of. Smirking, he grabbed his bow and an arrow and ran a clawed finger, mockingly, from the spear tip to the brittle feathers. She had to think fast. She had no time to be loathing, only moments to conjure up a plan. If any time was right, well, this wouldn't be one of the best, but she went along with her plan anyway. She held out both hands in order to summon up a barrier. She hadn't practised creating barriers enough. She was always finding a way to get out of teachings from either her mother or Lady Kaede to train with her sword with her father or alone. As she concentrated her thoughts, she could hear the demon's faint snickering as he continued to line up the shot. She squeezed her eyelids tighter in both fear and diligence. Right as he released his grip, the arrow flew towards the half demon with direct aim. She felt an odd, gleaming sensation burn within her. As she cautiously opened her eyes after hearing a brief sizzle, she found herself surrounded by a barrier. She took her gaze from the demon tinted with pink to her view from the spiritual shield, and down to the ground in front of her where the arrow lay, burnt. A smirk caressed her lips gently as she stood and drew an arrow from her quiver. As she pull back the tsuru, she could hear the cracking of the demon's knuckles. It's anger only instigated her on to destroy it. The barrier shattered as she released the arrow towards the youkai. The spiritual aura engulfed the demon and it collapsed as ashes. She waited for a few moments until she concluded the fight was finally over. She staggered towards the ashes and knelt down before them. She gently placed her hands over the glowing remains and began to pray. Her plan backfired. Her original aim was to send the spirit to the next world, but surprisingly, she ended up reawakening the soul. She stumbled backwards as the ashes formed a figure, changing into actual skin and body.

The features slowly started to become clear on his face. He had a slender nose and tanned, sandy coloured skin. He had entrancing eyes that were black with crescent shaped pupils. He was tall, maybe around 5'7, 5'8, with broad, masculine shoulders. His wavy, ebony hair seemed to layer itself as it rested on his skull that reached just above his shoulders. The attire he wore was quite simple, yet, elegant. He had smooth, tight, black footwear that appeared to be a type of boot which reached up to the middle of his shin where baggy grey pants ended with a white sash. For the top half of his clothes, he had a loose grey kimono top with a type of large silk, overlapping turtle-necked scarf that was white. He had long claws which curved in like bird talons. He looked calm and laid back, but looks were nothing to judge upon.

Kaede's eyes glittered as her mouth was cupped into a gasping 'o'. She watched as a pair of thick, white bird wings fanned out from his back. Kaede's records of different demons stored in her mind pointed out that he was a bird demon. His looks made him seem a couple years older than her, but in demon years, he was probably much, much older. Kaede blushed slightly as she peered up to the attractive demon with her girlie side coming out to play. She shoved it back desperately, though, as he began to speak and held out his hand to help her up.

"You have saved me, priestess, thank you,"

She brushed the dirt off her pants as she explained,

"I'm not a priestess, I'm a daughter of one, but that's about it,"

He furrowed his forehead in surprise but decided not to press the matter on any farther. He was quite suspicious as she circled the area around him, glaring him down. She was finally hit with total shock to how much different he looked from the other demon she had ridden herself of. She had never actually witnessed anything like this before, so she was quite intrigued. Especially considering that she herself had been able to do such a spectacular feat. He followed her gaze until he started to become tired of her speculating.

"You were really tall when you were the other demon," she stated as she continued to circulate.

"Well, _excuse_ me," He retorted with an agitated bark. She smirked when she found she was getting on his nerves, and decided to keep pushing him,

"You're excused, bird-boy,"

She heard him scoff as she began to circle again. She was starting to become dizzy, but wouldn't pass up the chance to tick-off this demon. He began to rhythmically tap his fingers against one of his folded arms, until he bursted,

"Would you stop!"

She jumped, startled with his sudden outburst and brought her hands to her hips, leaning to one side. She was even starting to get annoyed with this awkwardness, so quickly cut to the chase, but not before reminding him,

"Hey! I _am_ the one who saved you, you know. Now I need some information,"

He snorted as a scoff.

"Depends what you want to know,"

"Who sent you?"

"A half-demon named Naraku. I was summoned by that evil creature, to come and kill you,"

She couldn't help but mutter her next few words,

"Well you didn't do a very good job,"

Catching onto her sentence with his acute hearing, he shouted back,

"Hey! I got you in the arm!"

"That's not a very good thing to be proud of,"

"Anyways..."

"Can you take me to Naraku?"

"What? Why should I take _you_?"

"Why not? What's wrong with me?" Kaede began to growl, with her clawed fingers raising towards his direction.

"I have been resurrected, and my goal is to kill Naraku. He killed my family and I so now I must avenge them and kill him...**alone**,"

"Well, he's been an enemy of my family and friends for many years now, and is constantly ruining our lives! He's tried to kill us numerous times and continues to dispatch everything close to our hearts...I won't stand for it,"

"You're way too annoying, so I'm not going to help you,"

Kaede's right eye began to twitch. She was getting tired of this demon. She cracked her fingers, holding them towards him in attack and threatened with a steady voice which seemed to be cracking at every second word,

"I brought you back, and I can make you disappear again,"

He looked almost interested in what she was going to do next. He rose a brow and ducked his head out a bit as he asked with a sour face,

"Are you threatening me, girl?"

"You know it," She replied with a dip of cockiness.

The two stayed head-to-head, ready to attack at any given moment. Kaede smirked and thrust towards him, but was pulled back by a strong hand gripping the clothing on her back. She struggled and shouted,

"What the hell! Let go of me!"

She looked at the corner of her eye, to see Shippou to be the grasping demon. She growled and socked a punch his way as he taunted,

"When will you ever learn to stop being a total baka, Kaede,"

He dodged her fist and began to snicker as he released her, letting her fall to the ground with a 'thud'. She rubbed her backside, then helped herself up to face the fox-demon, leaving the bird demon in confusion.

"And just what the hell are you doing here?" she remarked bitterly, still quite peeved with Shippou degrading her in front of an opponent. But she supposed that it was in Shippou's nature as a brotherly figure to be doing that. It wasn't the first time, either.

"I stayed behind,"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes in unenlightenment to his obvious statement,

"Obviously. I mean why?"

"They told me to stay here to make sure that you didn't come back,"

"Well, I'm back, now...so too bad,"

Shippou begged to differ. He was told to keep her in the other era, and now that she came back, that wasn't going to stop him from shoving her back down that bone-gobbling well. He shook his head from left-to-right as he retorted,

"Not with me around. You're not staying here...it's too dangerous,"

She narrowed her gaze at his and began clench her teeth. This 'protective' act from everyone was starting to grow thin. Her dark bangs overcast her glare as she looked to the snowy ground.

"No,"

Her refusing word was so soft, yet, crisp to Shippou and even the bird demon's hearing. Shippou turned his head slightly as if still trying to make out what she meant.

"I'm going after Naraku whether you like it or not. You know me much better than to give up so easily, Shippou,"

That was true. Shippou had known her far too long to kid himself into thinking she would obey every word spoken from others like himself. She was not meant to be contained like any other normal child. But, she wasn't normal, anyway, so maybe that was her secret of disobedience. He wanted so badly to just throw her over his shoulder and let her free-fall down the portal to the era she was supposed to be in for the time, but he knew he couldn't (and besides, she would put up a great, agonizing fight). He heaved a great sigh and closed his eyes, as if trying to close out all the screaming and beatings that InuYasha and Kagome would lay into him, and nodded.

Kaede's face beamed as she threw her arms around the demon brother of her's and repeated gleeful 'thank-you's' into his ear. She spun around and glared at the demon with wings standing behind her. It was time for her 'reasonable, caring self' to reconcile with him.

"Ok, listen. If we work together, we have a better chance at beating Naraku. Besides, you're going to get pretty lonely,"

Her last few words danced in a sing-song manner, as if trying to tempt him with her friendly words. He tapped his foot lightly against the patted snow beneath his foot, leaving Kaede holding onto her last breath as she wait for his response. He finally shrugged and groaned,

"Fine, but you'll just get in the way,"

Kaede smirked and let that remark by, considering that he had just agreed to travelling with her to lead them to Naraku which she was very grateful for.

They had been walking for a while now, and Kaede was starting to tire of the demon's constant bragging. She steadily followed behind him, noticing that he continued to look over his shoulder to check if she was listening at all times. She couldn't really pin-point whether he was doing it just to bother her, or whether he normally boasted. But either way, it was starting to get to her.

"What did you say your name was, again?" She interrupted, trying to rid herself for even a second of his constant droning.

"Yukio, son of..."

He drifted off and held Kaede and Shippou's anxiousness in his clutch. He let his shoulders sag as he mumbled,

"...son of Taro,"

Shippou glanced over to Kaede, and she did the same. There was a brief silence, until both of them broke out into laughter. Through overflowing, howling laughs, Kaede managed to squeak,

"Yo-you mean 'Taunting-Taro'? The one who fled from his own battle?"

They continued to roll in the snow with their laughter echoing throughout the forest they came through, which steamed Yukio. He growled and kicked the snow helplessly. He then flew up in the air and changed the subject.

"Hey, Kaede," He called down to her mockingly. She wiped away a tear from so much giggling and sat up in the snow. She glanced up to him and asked him what he wanted.

"I bet I'm faster than you,"

She smirked and replied as she stood,

"Ya right, it's on,"

The second she stood, Yukio flew off through the forest, with Kaede right below him. She frowned as he flew ahead of her and knew she had to speed up. She rushed into the air and glided beside him. He glanced over to her with a smirk, but was drawn to the glowing pink jewel around her neck. Mindlessly, he reached for the Shikon no Tama and got a good grip. Kaede gasped in shock and clutched his hand with both of hers. She was able to stay in the air, because even though she had lost her path in the air, Yukio was still flying with her holding on to his wrist. She threw herself onto his body and began to wrestle him in the air. With his wings fanned out completely, Yukio struggled to get her off of him and even tried to let go of the jewel in order to do so. Not catching that Yukio was trying to let go of the jewel, Kaede whipped her clawed fingers through the air and slashed at the side of his face. He shoved her off and flew up into the air, grabbing at his face as he struggled to keep in the air. Kaede went flying to the ground, and was caught in Shippou's arms. She slid out from his hold and pulled him with her through the forest, then finally both started running.

"Why are we running? What's wrong?" Shippou shouted as he was right at her heels.

"Yukio can't be trusted! He tried to take the jewel from me!" She exclaimed as Shippou looked up, stunned, to see Yukio flying right above them.

"Kaede! Please, wait! I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to try to take it, I was just, overcome, I guess, by it's power!"

Kaede tried to block out his words, but that little voice of kind reason that she had inherited from her caring mother kept growing, and growing, and growing. She slowed down to a stop, as did Shippou who looked especially interested in what she was going to do. She stood, unimpressed, with her arms crossed as he flew in front of her with an honest face.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it,"

She searched all of the features on his face, looking for even a look of confession to actually doing it on purpose, but he was really telling the truth. She bit her bottom lip and clenched her fists, wanting so badly to blast him. But, she couldn't because in her heart, she knew he wasn't lying. She let out a loud groaning sigh and continued forward, leaving the two demons dumb-struck. She signalled for them to follow, so they traced her steps with their own. She then decided to stop, and turned around with a clawed finger pointed near his face. Yukio brought his head back in defence as she threatened,

"Let's get this straight. If you ever try to take the jewel, again, I'll kill you with my bare hands,"

She smirked dominantly as she could hear him swallow back his saliva in fear. He backed up and straightened up before marching in front of his comrades to boast about himself once again. Kaede snarled and was ready to pounce on him, trying to claw at him but was held back firmly by Shippou as he sighed and thought hopelessly,

'This is going to be a long day,'


	9. Yumi Demon Slayer

Yumi, Demon Slayer

Kaede softly pulled back the hanging door, looking out aimlessly to the falling snow swaying in the calm winds to the floor of the forest. A gentle winter breeze blew past her, stinging her face with it's frozen whisper. She gradually placed it back as normal, and glared over to Yukio and Shippou sitting in silence while peering into the blurred fire. She had watched discreetly as Shippou's eyelids began to fall, with slumber taking him into it's embrace.

She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them for comfort other than warmth. She could feel a faint melody humming in her mind that she couldn't seem to rid herself of. It was so simple and beautiful it calmed her very soul. She was beginning to become frustrated when she couldn't remember where it was from, but the song soothed her so much, it really didn't matter. As if someone had stabbed her with a knife when she wasn't looking, she remembered her mother used to sing it to her as a child. She lowered her head and stared at the floor in an attempt to blink back tears. She hated being away from her family. She even hated it more that they continued to stick in her mind. Luckily, Yukio noticed her looking as if she was locked away in a cold cellar, so at least he tried to relieve her of her pain but only ended up making it worse.

"So why aren't you with your parents?" he asked softly, trying not to offend her.

"Because," She started to say, still glaring down to the floor of the abandoned hut they stayed in,

"They thought it was too dangerous for me to go with them,"

He couldn't help but remark without any conscious to what he was actually saying,

"Well then don't you think you should have listened to them?"

"I'm not a weakling! I can protect myself,"

"I didn't mean it like that, Kaede,"

She didn't care what he actually meant. Her interpretation was the only important thing, considering that it affected her the most. Even if he didn't mean it. She found herself quite selfish at times. Especially with trivial things such as this. Growing up, many did not accept her, so it, in a way, roughed her up a bit with her insecurities. Many other human children didn't accept her. She had Shippou, but he wasn't always around and when he left, it was even worse. They would tease her or ignore her. She found that ignoring her was worse because at least when they teased her, they acknowledged her. She had never told her mother or especially her father, either. Her father would have reacted the worst to the situation considering that he himself grew up alone like her, yet, completely opposite to how she was raised. She had usually spent most of her time in the forest with the 'Sacred Tree' which was right out on the outskirts of the village. It was peaceful and it was a place for her to think without being tormented by the other villagers. Nature had always appealed to her. She was drawn to the outdoors like her father had always been.

Kaede relaxed and apologized for her behavior. Yukio had only tried to make small-talk, and now she had drawn him off.

"So...what happened to you and your family?" She asked cautiously, not wanting to encounter a dangerous area which she was not supposed to be in.

He glanced off to the side, resisting her glares. He always felt uneasy when talking about private matters, but her calm tone seemed to draw him into her kind hearted grasp.

"Naraku had come to us up on the mountainside, offering a peace-treaty. We had heard numerous rumors of Naraku from other demon clans, and refused his alliance. My father had passed away right before Naraku had come, so he had to approach my mother, Torime-sama, who had taken rule over the bird clan,"

"Torime-sama? The famous bird demon hime?"

He nodded solemnly then continued on with solid features that could crack at any moment,

"Naraku had attacked with a hoard of demons the next night, and our clan put up a great fight. My mother put up a fight till the very end, and I fought by her side,"

There was a long silence that made Kaede's skin tingle. She didn't know what to say or do. Noticing her startled features, he stated the obvious, just to relieve the tension in the room.

"We all died that night,"

She gasped slightly then pursed her lips into a thin line. She had no real idea of what it was like to lose a loved one. Kikyo hadn't really counted to her, considering that she was already deceased to begin with. She was even more entranced with such agonizing thoughts when he was the one who had actually died as well. She had no idea what that would be like, but she knew it was not her place to reach for such a question and she really wasn't sure if she even wanted to know. All she could really do was console,

"I'm...so sorry,"

He shrugged slightly as if not grief-stricken at all. This confused her at the moment, but softened her gaze as he replied in a light voice,

"It's alright. They're all safe and peaceful, now...I know because I was with them,"

She smiled and briskly changed the subject so that no more prolonging silences dragged out.

"You gunna go to sleep?"

He shrugged once again, also raising his upper lip as a type of shrug as well.

"I'm really not that tired. You look tired, though, so feel free to,"

She grinned softly. The previous few weeks there had been a lot of bickering and ignoring between the two of them. But as time went on, they both started to get along...in a way. She had only talked normally like this with him a couple times before, but this was the first time when they both took each other's feelings into care.

She slowly shuffled a bit to sit in a comfortable position, then began to close her eyes. The last thing she had seen before she slipped into slumber, was Yukio poking at the fire with a stick.

Three arrows glided through the whipping winds, guiding a path with it's sparked spiritual aura towards the one demon. It was a huge dragon-like demon, with a long, scaly, forest-green body. The scales looked like tiny shields that covered the demon as protection. It had enormous fangs that hung from the roof of it's vile jagged-toothed mouth that dripped with blood. It had crystal eyes that were completely white with no colour at all. The demon cringed as the arrows flew towards it's chest, digging a bloody path through it. As it began to purify it's body, it burst into chopped up pieces with a river of blood following the fallen corpse. Kaede and Shippou sprung into the air, dodging the tainted flesh. Kaede landed on the ground in a puddle of watery blood, but didn't seem to notice.

She prepared herself to fight the other demon, which was identical to the one she had killed except it was dark red, by grabbing onto Tetshiega's handle. But she stopped in her tracks as a shadow flew over, imaging the figure above. It was Yukio.

"Leave it to me, Kaede. You got the first one, now it's my turn!" Shouted the bird demon down to the hanyou. She scoffed and crossed her arms across her torso. She watched as his angelic wings spread so that he dangled in mid-air, and continued to gaze on as he pulled out what looked to spikes.

"Yah, right. Like that's gunna kill it," She muttered as she went charging towards the demon with her sword unsheathed. She sliced through it's body, with his thrown spikes digging into it's scaly body, unleashing great explosions. Kaede dodged some of the flames that came forth and was covered protectively by Shippou. Her hand that was clutched onto Shippou was grabbed and she and Shippou were lifted into the air. Kaede peered up through smoke to see Yukio's smirking face.

"You know," Kaede yelled up with a returning smirk, "You're not so bad when useful!"

He chuckled slightly which made Kaede's girlie side blush. He was very irresistible, even to her! But they were just friends, and that's all they ever would be and that's all she ever wanted them to be. He grinned and shouted,

"Don't test me! I could drop you at any moment into that fire!"

Shippou, who had just tuned into their conversation, screamed up in shock,

"Don't you dare!"

Kaede and Yukio sighed and shook their heads sympathetically at the fox-demon's words. Since he had just listened in on Yukio's threats, which were only joking around, he actually thought he was going to drop them.

Yukio began to grow tired of carrying both of them, and thankfully spotted a village just a ways ahead. They finally reached the village, and landed in an open space. The trio glanced around, but saw no civilization in sight. Suspicious, she began to walk towards the huts but didn't take more than three steps before her dog-ears twitched, and she pounced on Yukio, bringing them both down to the ground. Arrows darted over their heads and pierced the side of a hut, leaving its' mark. He pushed Kaede off of him and asked her what the hell she was doing. She frowned and grabbed his face, aligning it in the direction of the arrows that were shot.

"Oh," he muttered.

Shippou hurried over beside the two as they didn't move, glaring down their attackers. There stood three young girls around the age of six with bows and arrows in their tiny grasps. They had disgraceful, mediocre styled kimonos, that's solid, plain colours faded. One girl who stood in the middle of the three came forward with a clenched fist. Her coal tinted hair, similar to her kimono; faded.

"Get up, demons, so we can slay you with pride!"

Kaede growled and stood, preparing to defend herself. She was quite peeved that such small, useless children had the idea that they could beat her. They sent their arrows forward, and Kaede sliced them all in half before they touched her or her comrades. The children stepped back in fear as she gave them the "is-that-all-you-got?" look.

"Nobody bosses me around," She warned with a satisfied smirk. They may trick themselves into thinking their warriors, Kaede had thought, but they're still just little kids. Her attention was drawn above the girls, to a weapon flinging in her direction. She grabbed the weapon, with more effort and frustration than she had to do for the arrows, and examined it. It was a nunchaku with a chain joint and metal ends which were spiked. She glanced up to the source to see no one. Yukio and Shippou flew out of the way as Kaede shouted,

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

She watched as a figure came forth from the path between two huts.

She looked around Kaede's age, maybe even a little older, with a slender figure. She was a brunette, with thick sable streaks throughout. It dance in the wind,with her choppy bangs which were swept to her left side and angled pieces of short hair by her ears like Sango. She had a tight navy blue kimono top which was very clean, but had many diamond like rips in the arms which seemed to form a pattern which bared some of her arms. She had a white skirt which looked like it once reached her ankles, but was ripped near the middle of her thighs and slit a bit at the sides. Wrapped around her shins were navy blue pieces of cloth with interlocking white diamonds at the sides and wavy white strands as patterns. On her feet, she wore regular zori. She had shimmering emerald eyes that were very feminine with long curled eyelashes. She had thin pale lips that looked so perfect, they looked drawn.

Yukio stood with his jaw hanging in a trance. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And she hadn't even noticed him standing there! Most girls would be crawling all over him but she didn't seem to even notice his presence.

'Just admit it, you're not that good-looking,' Yukio scowled inwardly at his inner voice which seemed to break down his ego. It continued to nag that she was too good for him. He snorted softly. He would not let her slip through the cracks. He would get her to fall for him. No girl had ever ignored him, and she wasn't going to be the first.

"Now, girls," the girl began to say in a soothing voice, "What have I told you about going after demons like this. You aren't fit to be fighting yet,"

"But we just wanted to be like you, Yumi-chan. Could we at least watch?"

She smiled at the younger girl's beaming faces and jolted her head in a signal for them to head for cover. They grinned from ear-to-ear and ran to the side. They idolised her for her strength and beauty. Yumi turned to Kaede and smirked as she grabbed hold of her other nunchuk.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Yumi the demon slayer,"

Kaede's brown orbs widened in shock when she announced she was a demon slayer, and she sent the weapon back at Yumi. She flicked her wrist and grabbed her weapon in one swift move. Kaede could hear a faint whistling from behind, and snatched the arrow that was coming towards her from the back. She snapped it in two and glared at the little girl who shot it, making her cower in fear. She screamed out in pain as a surprise attack from Yumi's nunchaku ripped at her back. Kaede collapsed onto her knees, as the blood trickled down steadily from the gashes in her back. She could hear the shrill shouts from the side coming from Yukio and Shippou. She began to faze out...

Kaede slowly tip-toed outside and to the side of her hut. She inhaled through her teeth in pain as she rested on one of her wounds from the glass pieces. It had only been an hour after they were all taken out, so she wasn't healed yet. Her mother had made sure she stayed in bed, but she had gotten restless, so she snuck outside for some fresh air.

Her thoughts were like a narrow path; only focussed on what had happened in the other world. Each one seemed to come up at any time. Her chest expanded as she took in a large whiff of crisp, fall air then contracted with a sharp exhale. She turned her head to her left as Sango came to join her. She slid her back against the wall, all the way down until he bottom reached the uncomfortable, frigid ground. She didn't seem to mind, though. She sighed quickly and briefly, letting her shoulders tense up, then relax as she stared over to Kaede who was glaring at the ground.

"Are you alright, Kaede?" she asked calmly with care to her tone.

Kaede, who had just realized she was speaking to her, dragged out a 'hmm' to actually understand fully that she was,

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I am...now,"

"Oh, well you don't seem to be your normal, happy self, that I remember you as when you were a little girl,"

Sango and Miroku had visited InuYasha and Kagome from time-to-time, when Kaede was very young, but then began to lose touch. Maybe it was because the distance permitted them only to see each other once in a blue-moon. Or maybe it was just because it was hard when they both had families to take care of. Who knows.

"I'm fine, really. I'm just a little out of it, that's all," Kaede assured with a happy grin which faded into a solemn face by the end of her sentence. Kaede watched as Kilala round the corner and jumped onto her lap. She couldn't help but grin in delight and stroke the little mewing kitty demon.

"She seems to like you," Sango cooed with a small smile. Kaede halted her petting for a moment to ask,

"Could she sleep in my room tonight? It's just that I'm not quite over all that's happened. I'm just a little..."

"Scared?"

"Yes,"

Sango nodded then sent Kilala to go looking for Kohaku. She mewed gleefully then scampered off to go transform and be on her way. Sango watched as her demon companion took to the star studded skies and into the night, while Kaede pondered the question she was about to bestow on the demon slayer.

"Sango," she began, drawing Sango's attention, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you may," she answered softly.

"Naraku had tricked you into thinking my dad was the bad one, and I know you found out exactly what had happened, but how come you gave my dad the benefit of the doubt?"

"Well, your father has a good kind heart, and when he pointed out the obvious, and tried to help me, I knew he hadn't done such things. Basically, I just looked in my heart and knew,"

"But, how?"

"Once you can really convince a person to trust you, there's goodness shown,"

Kaede smiled weakly, and gradually glanced up to the stars...

Kaede's clear vision had finally returned, and that particular memory which had seemed so real to her at the time, had only happened in a mere second when she was out like a light. She scraped the dirt with her claws, inviting the soil under her finger nails and glanced over her shoulder to see Yumi coming at her screaming,

"Die demon!"

Kaede flipped over as Yumi's spiked weapons came crashing before her. Kaede looked to the corner of her eye to see the weapons forced into the ground, with clumps of dirt surrounding the marked spot. She continued to roll away, until she reached a safe distance in time to pull out her sword. She only used her weapon in defense, though. She didn't want to kill a human.

Yumi continuously tried to slash at Kaede with her nunchaku, leaving Kaede blocking every sudden flinch. For a brief second, she looked over to Yukio who just stood there, drooling over her opponent.

"Not helping!" the half demon screamed, snapping Yukio out from his daze.

Finally, Yumi leapt away, far enough for her to whip the weapons around her waist. Kaede watched on suspiciously to see what the demon slayer was going to do next. She dismounted the weapon tied to her back. It was a large weapon that was a bit bigger then her own self, length wise. At each end, there was a large slightly leaning blades. At the top end, there was a red piece of cloth tied to the pole-arm wood. Just below, engraved in the wood read: For those who were killed by the demon's hand. Kaede quickly reminisced on past stories of her family and friend's adventures and linked Sango's past to Yumi. She must have been some how connected to Sango! And if not, it was worth a try, anyway. She quickly sheathed her sword as her first step to getting through to the girl, as she ran rapidly in her direction.

"Yumi, stop!" She screamed. But Yumi continued on without a care.

"Do you know of a demon named Naraku?"

She came to a sudden stop with dust erupting from the ground, then hovering above it. She narrowed her gaze, asking questioningly,

"What do you know about that bastard?"

"Do you know Sango the demon exterminator?"

Yumi lowered her weapon as she beam happily,

"Yes! She was one of the greatest demon slayers in our village...so my mother had told me,"

Kaede relaxed as Yumi lowered her weapon. She stood up shakily from the constant rolling that she had done from before, but soon regained her balance. Yumi strung her weapon back onto herself and nodded for Kaede to follow her. As Kaede follow closely behind, Yukio, Shippou, and even the little human girls were all shocked and struck dumb.

"Uh," Yukio started to say, extremely puzzled, "What just happened, there?"

"I guess they came to an agreement," Shippou stated, obviously just as confused as the rest of them. They shrugged it off, though, and gained on the two females as they enter a hut.

Yumi sat down, gazing over to the half demon girl seemingly impatient. The three comrades took a seat across from Yumi and waited for her to speak.

"My mother had told me that before I was born, she lived in a village full of taijiya, but they were attacked and slaughtered by many demons. Luckily, my mother had escaped before she too was killed and pressed on to the next village. My father had also been killed so she was a widow, and assumed to be the only survivor. Or so she had thought. She had given birth to me here, but died a few years ago of illness. She had this weapon created for me, though, before she passed on. She had always wished for me to follow in my father's footsteps to become a demon exterminator and I honored her wishes. I soon found that Sango was alive, and how Naraku had killed all the people in my mother's village. I was on my way to go looking for Naraku whom I've heard is still alive, to kill him and search for Sango, but then you came,"

Kaede, seemingly taken over by such a story, wanted to help. As she work out a way, to sum up a plan in her mind, Yumi glanced over to Yukio and Shippou. Shippou began to play with a flame of his fox fire, which caught her attention. When Yukio noticed that she was too entranced with the fox fire, he dug his index talon into Shippou's side, unnoticed as possible. Shippou jumped and whacked Yukio across the head. Yumi held back the urge to break out into snickers, and glared back over to Kaede as she began,

"I'm very sorry to hear about your mother and father, Yumi, but I just might have a way to help you. My parents are on their way to kill Naraku with comrades...one being Sango. This jewel around my neck is the–,"

"Shikon no Tama," Yumi added before Kaede. She bit her lip nervously as Kaede eyed her.

"I've heard stories of it," she stumbled on her words then nodding for Kaede to go on.

"Well, that group, including Shippou over here," She paused to point over to Shippou who shot a small wave in Yumi's direction,

"Collected the shattered pieces when the jewel broke so long ago. They even retrieved the shards that Naraku had, and supposedly had killed him. After so many years, he's been alive but in hiding, waiting for the jewel to be restored and to be passed on to the next protector; me. We're looking for Naraku and my parents and comrades as well, and since Sango is with them, too, would you like to come with us?"

Yumi sat, pondering for a moment, until she finally agreed,

"I will come with you to find Sango and kill Naraku,"

Kaede grinned as did Yukio and Shippou, then looked over to the bird demon, to see his eyes fixed onto Yumi. She smirked slyly and ambled towards the door. As she brush past Yukio, she couldn't hold her remark in, it was too good,

"She's way out of your league,"

He blushed crimson as he peered towards Yumi who arched a brow with an unimpressed glare. He desperately tried to snatch the half demon who had so wittily embarrassed him, but she had already burst out the door laughing. He jumped up, racing out of the hut after her screaming,

"Get back here!"

Shippou sighed, both annoyed and tired of their childish fighting, then glanced over to Yumi who was looking quite lost.

"They're going to be doing that a lot," he explained to her as they both made their way outside.

Their eyes traveled back and forth as they watched the bird demon and half dog demon begin to wreak havoc throughout the, now, busy village as she run with laughter and he gained with anger. Yumi and Shippou lowered their heads in shame as they seemed responsible for the immature pair. They shook their heads in embarrassment and pity and marched after the two into the forest.


	10. Kaede's heart beats the same as Kagome's

Kaede's Heart Beats the Same as Kagome's

"I swear, you poke me again, and I'll cut that finger of yours off!" Kaede threatened as she shot a death glare in Yukio's direction.

They had been traveling for about a month or so, now, and still had no idea of where to find the group searching for Naraku. They did, however, have a slight idea in which direction Naraku was. So they had continued on, pressing in his direction in hope that they would come across InuYasha, Kagome, or any of the others in the group on the quest.

As they walked through a forest which was bare without it's leaves, Yukio had insisted on getting on Kaede's last nerve. He had continuously poked her, until she finally blew up on him. Yumi lowered her shoulders, as all grew quiet again. Only the crushing from underneath their steps which crunched away the twigs and light snow powdered on top. Winter was nearing it's end, but still left a brief mark of white substance on the forest floor. She rubbed her arms which were partly bare from the slits in her sleeves and watched as her heavy breath fogged in the crisp, cold air. She froze in her tracks and peered over her shoulder when she felt two strong, yet, soothing hands begin to vibrate against her arms.

"What are you doing, Yukio?" She asked with a small blush to her fair cheeks.

"Just helping to warm you up," He beamed with a small grin. As Yumi slowly began to walk again, not really caring, Yukio fell back as he received a few small rocks to the head. He scowled as he rub his head and glare down the fox-demon and half dog-demon who were giggling and chuckling to themselves with what they had done. They continue to march through the woods once again. Kaede glanced off to the side to see nothing but bare, skinny trees with their grasping branches reaching out and towards the sky. She was getting tired of walking through this eerie bareness that seemed to crawl up her spine. She didn't like how it was so openly visible, leaving only the bones of the many trees which weren't spaced too far apart to see. She glanced to her other side, to see the hazy warm glow of the orange sunset slipping past the bark of the thin trees and onto their chilled bodies. It was so...peaceful. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud. It's embracing glow seemed to swallow them hole, leaving darting shadows along their bodies. She peered over to see her shadow and the shadows of her comrades gracing the earth. She smiled. She didn't know why, but she did. Suddenly, she stopped. Everyone followed suit, curiously, and Yumi summoned up her words to ask,

"What's wrong, Kaede?"

Kaede grabbed her sword's handle as a calm, bone-tingling breeze blew by the group.

"Something's following us," she replied with a serious look. She looked as if she were ready to attack at any given moment. The rest of the group felt the strangeness creep up on them as well and definitely didn't enjoy it's presence. They heard a soft giggling but couldn't point out exactly where it was coming from. They felt the twigs beneath their feet begin to quiver as the giggling grew louder.

"Alright, show yourself!" Kaede shouted, fed up with the games they were playing.

Suddenly a young woman appeared before them. She had a slim, tiny frame with slouching shoulders and a mischievous grin. She had dark green eyes that shimmered in the remaining sunlight, and soft, tanned skin. Her short, sandy-brown hair fanned outwards, with her sharp cut bangs parting to the side. Her slender ankles were dressed with anklets that were pieces of string with wood chips strung on. She wore a long green skirt with ripped ends and long slit sides, revealing her long legs which tight brown pants attached to. She wore a brown strapless bodice with forest-green designs of leaves imprinted. Attached to her side, seemed to be a curved tachi with the handle surrounded by tree roots.

"So!" She started, extremely giddily, "You must be the group he's been talking about,"

They all eyed her as in 'what-the-hell-is-this-broad-going-on-about?' , and finally, Kaede spoke these unspoken words when she just continued to smile and giggle foolishly to herself,

"Who's been talking about us?"

Kaede could smell demon all over her. The woman smirked as there was a slight gleam in her right eye. She held her hands to her waist and snickered,

"Why, Naraku, silly!"

Kaede immediately unsheathed her sword, ready to attack. The girl noticed this and frowned a small pout while her words danced with childish sulk,

"That's not nice! A child such as your self should not be playing with toys like that,"

She began to giggle again as she heard Kaede growl. She glanced over to the rest of the group for a brief moment before saying,

"How rude of me, I haven't even told you who I am, now have I? Well, my name is Mokuzai, ruler of the trees and the rest of the timber in this forest,"

"What do you want with us?" Shippou kept a steady tone, keeping his body in a ready position. She smiled again, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"You see, I am an ally of Naraku and he has so strictly instructed that I kill you all and take the sacred jewel!"

At this, they all were prepared to fight the demoness in order to save their skins and continue on. She clapped her hands together and hopped around girlishly, squealing about how she was going to kill them all. She stopped and twirled a strand of hair around her index finger as her ears picked up on Kaede's vicious words,

"Listen you freak, there is no way a little weak demon like you is going to kill us, so why don't you just beat it,"

She let the piece of dark hair go and unsheathed her weapon. Her eyes narrowed as her light-hearted voice grew dark and cold,

"No one calls me weak, not even you, puppy,"

Kaede stepped back cautiously as wood-chips flew around the demon in a circular pattern. Mokuzai snickered as she sent a chip flying in Kaede's direction, skimming her cheek, leaving a slit mark. Kaede didn't flinch as the blood rolled down her cheek as a tear would. The wood chips fell back to the ground as the demon girl exclaimed,

"Oh! I almost forgot! I have some friends for you three to play with as well,"

Addressing Yukio, Yumi, and Shippou, the wood chips rose again, forming two male identical figures. They had dark colorless eyes, and long brown hair that fell down their bare backs and chests which were viewable to all. They wore baggy brown pants as their only clothing, with green obi. Yumi giggled in her mind as she gazed at their rock hard bodies with their abs forming into a six-pack. She frowned, though, as the two men went after Yukio and Shippou, leaving Yumi with no opponent. She curse to herself, wanting at least one of the handsome men...even if they were just wood, they were still really hot.

"And for you, demon slayer, I face you with your own kind and even a taijiya himself,"

Suddenly, a man jumped down from one tree's branch beside Mokuzai. It was Kohaku. But only Shippou could tell from seeing him so long ago. Yumi took a step backwards with horror filled eyes as if she herself had known him, too. Kaede couldn't help but wonder why she was so afraid of him. Kohaku took a step towards her, and Yumi snarled as she unraveled the nunchaku coiled around her waist. Kohaku's weapon, the kusari-gama, went flying towards the young demon slayer, but she knocked it away with her nunchaku. She leapt back words out of the way, trying to make room to fight and to avoid Kohaku's attempting slices.

"So!" Mokuzai squealed as she held her blade forward, "Shall I kill you now, or do you have any last words before I do,"

Kaede smirked and equally held her fanged sword forward. Strands of ebony spilled over her shoulder as she bent her knees and back, ready to attack. Finally ready, she said smoothly with a hint of mock,

"Yeah...go to hell,"

The wood demoness clenched her teeth and thrust her body forward as Kaede did, too. Their two swords met with a high pitched whine. Kaede felt as if her head were going to split in two from the mind-boggling noise. She continued to block, as the wood demon continued to strike with her shrieking sword. With ever clash of their swords, the wailing hummed, making her ears seem like they were bleeding.

"Had enough?" Mokuzai screamed through laughing grunts. Kaede just tuned her out while she twisted her griped movements back and forth in an effort to block the attacks. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the fright dancing in Kaede's orbs. Growing tired of her blocks, Mokuzai leapt into the air, kicking the half demon back, driving her into a couple of trees. Kaede hit the ground and struggled to stand but was held down by broken trees that she brought down with herself. Her chest expanded as her lost breath returned. She roughly shrugged off the broken branches and snapped tree trunks and shook her head forcefully, trying to see over the thick dust her fall created. She jumped to the side as her opponent came at her from above, digging her sword into the spot which Kaede's body would have been pinned if she hadn't dodged.

Meanwhile, Shippou and Yukio were fighting the two 'wood-men', as Shippou had specified them as, and were beginning to become annoyed that their opponents would not disappear when they sliced at them with their claws.

"Ok," Yukio grunted while he ducked a punch from the wooden opponent he faced, "I'm getting tired of this. Isn't there some way we could get rid of them?"

Shippou pushed his fighter down and somewhat slapped it in the face.

"I don't know!" He yelled in anger as one took him by the neck, "Get...off of me!"

He pivoted and threw a ball of his fox fire in the strangler's direction. He watched, dumb-founded as the wooden creature burst into flames. He growled as he heard Yukio mutter,

"Dumb-ass,"

He turned around and threw more fire in the other's direction as Yukio jumped away from him.

"See, now why the hell didn't you think of that before?!" Yukio shouted while smacking Shippou in the head.

"Why didn't you, either! You knew I had the fox-fire!"

"This is not my fault! It's your power and..."

As they continued to bicker, The flames began to spread catching all the timber in it's path.

Yumi grunted painfully as sweat dripped down her temple when she dodged Kohaku's attacks. She blocked his katana with her weapon which she called Naginata (which in fact it was similar to), and tried to slice at him after her blocks. She spun around on her heel, trying to cut at his abs, but he turned on his heel the opposite way and slit her side. She let a spine tingling scream echo throughout the forest, but felt her body lift into the air and away from the taijiya who threatened to kill her. She lifted her eyelids which were squeezed tight with fear of death to see Yukio's face, shimmering from the flames below.

"Y-Yukio..." She drifted off into a meek whisper but he didn't seem to hear her.

"Ah! My forest!" Mokuzai shrieked as the forest was lit with flames. Kaede looked around innocently but still with a tight grip on her sword's handle. She glared back, surprised, at the demon girl who narrowed her burning gaze in Kaede's direction as she growled viciously,

"You!" She gripped the tachi's rooted handle harder, "You did this! It' all your fault and now you will die for your actions!"

She jolted forward, slashing at the hanyou as fast as she could, with the shrieking of her sword vibrating in Kaede's sensitive hearing. She squinted, trying to block out the sound but found it impossible. She couldn't take it anymore. She opened her eyes, the flames' reflections dancing in the pools of Mokuzai's glowing eyes and pushed the Tetshiega against the tachi with all her strength. As her sword gave in, Tetshiega burst through the protective 'shield' it had created and cut into her body, causing her to be thrown back. The demon was trembled as she tried to stand, taking hold of a burning stump for balance. She dropped to her knees and gazed around at the fire blazing in her forest, not seeming to notice the gushing blood coming from her abdomen. Kaede couldn't help but feel deep pity for her as she looked past her tainted soul, and into the core of her heart as tears spilled down her cheeks. She hung her head low as she sobbed slowly to herself with burning cinders falling on and around her.

"Kaede!" Shippou yelled for her to follow them from the top of a standing tree that looked as if it were about to fall at any given moment with Yukio flying over top with Yumi in his arms. Kaede hesitated while glancing back to Mokuzai who hadn't noticed the fiery twigs burning into her clothes. She frowned and held out her hand to Mokuzai who had noticed she was still there.

"Come on! You can't stay here," Kaede shouted over the loud cracking of bark and feisty flames that danced about. She looked astonished that after she had tried to kill her, she had stayed behind and risked her life to help her. She gazed around at her surroundings, though, and knew what she had to do,

"Make sure you keep to the west! You'll run into Naraku soon enough,"

"What are you talking about!? Take my hand! We'll get out of here,"

"I can't leave,"

"Why!?"

"This forest is my very essence. If it dies, I must die with it. Now go!"

Kaede stood there, her eyes glazed over with tears as she watched the trueness in the wood mistress's eyes. She cast her gaze to the ground, then turned briskly and leapt into the air with Shippou and the rest. As she soar over the smoke gathering atop the trees, she felt her body become weak with sorrow.

Mokuzai lay on her back, the tips of her hair gradually singed, the fire working it's way up her body.

"What are you doing, Mokuzai, get up and kill them," she could hear Naraku's voice below throughout her empty mind.

"No. I won't deal with you anymore, baka. My will of you being killed is now set in the hands of that half dog demon. And I know she will not fail,"

Finally, her body gave in and she was swallowed by the flames.

Kaede sat up in the tall tree towering over where the group had set up camp for the night, thinking to herself. Ever since the fight against the wood demon the previous day, she hadn't said a word. She was too upset with herself for letting Mokuzai die like that. Kaede heaved a sigh and glanced up towards the night sky with her hands tucked into her sleeves. Right then and there it struck her of how lonely she really was. Sure, she had her friends and family, but it wasn't enough. It was as if something was missing in her heart. A gap that could maybe never be filled. She had always felt like that. Like no one had really accepted her the way she needed to be. Maybe that was why she always felt so distant as she grew older and more independent.

At the base of the tree, Yumi lay sleeping soundly with her side bandaged. Yukio had been watching her sleep with Shippou who was staring at him like he was a total stalker.

"You know, nothing is going to get her if you fall asleep. Besides, she's a strong girl...she can fend for herself,"

"No, she can't. That's why she needs _me_ here to protect her,"

"I can protect myself, thank you," Yumi peeped up in agitation into the conversation with her eyelids still closed, obviously eaves dropping. Shippou chuckled and wiggled into a comfortable position as Yukio sulked with his wings fanned out in front of him as a type of shield. Then all three fell asleep.

Kaede had just begun to close her eyes and slip into a deep sleep, when she heard sobs coming from the forest. She opened one eye and glared down at the trio below but they had not even flinched. Thinking it was a dream of sort, she closed her lids and tried to fall back to sleep. But once again, she was promptly awoken to a faint cry. She groaned silently then hopped down and tip toed around Shippou and into the core of the forest from which the noise came from.

She slowed down and held her finger tips to her lips in shock to see a young woman with long, luscious raven-black strands blowing gently in the soft night wind. She had her hands cupping around her eyes, with a clump of hair grasped with a white ribbon to the side of her head. She wore a long violet kimono that was bathed in soft, pale moonlight. It was tied loosely by a white sash that seemed luminous in the pale glow, as well. All upon seeing the woman, it hit Kaede. It was the woman she had seen when she was underneath the spell of the glass shards. In waver to her decision, she went along with her best instinct and bit her lip, resolving the hesitation by offering her assistance.

"What's wrong?" Kaede asked lightly as she kneeled down in front of her. She sniffled and rubbed the liquid tucked in the corner of her right eye, then explained,

"Please, help me! I stayed in the forest just like Sesshoumaru-sama had said but then I went looking for him when he didn't come for me, and he was asleep! I tried to wake him up but Rin couldn't! I mean-I couldn't,"

Rin stood after correcting her habit of referring to herself in the third person and took Kaede's hand, leading her in the taiyoukai's direction. Kaede reflected on what the woman, Rin, had said as she was marching towards this, 'Sesshoumaru' with her wrist grasped by her soft, gentle hand.

They finally came to a stop, and Rin knelt beside the demon.

Kaede observed Sesshoumaru. He had long, silky silver hair that was much thinner and finer than that of her father's. He had markings on his face such as two deep purple stripes gracing his cheeks, and a deep blue crescent moon on his forehead. He looked almost the exact same as she saw him before when entranced with the glass pieces except now, when asleep, he looked peaceful instead of cold hearted.

'Ok, so,' she thought to herself as she kneel beside him as well, 'He's in a deep sleep, there's a conspicuous aura surrounding him. Yeah, I think I can help,'

She softly placed her hands on his chest. He was so warm and she could feel his heart beating steadily in his chest. At that very moment, she felt a wave of one particular feeling wash over her; the feeling of security. As if she knew she was safe. She had only gotten this feeling when her father was around but even he worried her at times. But with this demon that she had just met now that seemed so familiar, she felt so safe she could just fall into his lap and sleep soundly. The thought of sleep joggled her tiredness, discreetly letting out a tiny yawn. After her moment of stillness, she began to concentrate on her powers. Light shone from beneath her placed hands, and the aura was lifted. She and Rin backed up cautiously until Sesshoumaru coughed, letting some blood roll from his bottom lip. Kaede smiled as Sesshoumaru was still groggy and asleep and assured,

"He's going to be fine, now,"

She stood and was surprised when Rin embraced her while exclaiming her happy gratitude. Kaede grinned again then walked off and back to camp where she fell asleep back in the tree. Before she fell into sleep, she came to the conclusion that Rin was very dependent on the demon she had cured.

Meanwhile, Rin had fled off to get some water for her lord to drink for when he properly awoke. Sesshoumaru, actually only resting with his eyes shut, began to think to himself,

'Who put me in this trance? Why won't I open my eyes? Where is Kaede?'

He stopped his thoughts right there and his eyes shot open as he rethought his last inner words,

'Kaede? She...is InuYasha's child. She's the one who saved me. This is quite peculiar...why am I thinking of her? I feel as if I must protect her...but. Why is this? I don't understand,'

"Sesshoumaru-sama?!" Rin exclaimed as she ran to his side with a canteen full of water. She placed it to the side when he had no interest, and blubbered,

"I was so worried, my lord! I'm glad you're alright,"

He turned his gaze away from her as he changed the subject,

"It's late, Rin, you should be asleep,"

She seemed shocked that he would say such a thing. Her big brown eyes widened as her mouth cupped into a gasping rim. She finally explained,

"But how could I sleep, Sesshoumaru-sama, when you were in trouble?"

In spite of his cold-hearted personality, he smirked at this remark that could have been taken as a genuine smile from the dog-demon lord. Graciously, he held out his hand and she delicately slipped her's into his and lay beside him. She nestled into his grasp, resting her head on the large, soft pelt and immediately fell asleep. Sesshoumaru stared blankly at the woman for a moment, then up to the stars.


	11. Half Moon and the Human Kaede

The Mystery of the Half Moon and the Human Kaede

The soft humming of the upbeat song she had created herself flowed on the wind as her steps echoed through the crisp night air. With every light-hearted step she took, it seemed to have a sharp twist that seemed almost rhythmic with her created song. Her fiery, pin-straight hair seemed to sway as she continued forth through the field of long blades of grass. Her sword knocked against her side as a cool wind blew by. She stopped in her tracks as she noticed the dog demon standing a couple of feet away from her. She cocked a brow as she looked him over suspiciously.

"Sesshoumaru? Is that you?" She asked cautiously.

He smirked and nodded. With this, she rushed into his grasp and they embraced lovingly under the pale moonlight. Suddenly a child's laughter shook her mind.

TK shot up from her futon and began to rub her head while smacking her lips together. She glanced over to her side to see a small child standing there with a large grin. She smirked and asked the child who they were.

"I'm Kaiya!"

TK forced another smile, trying not to show any sign of anger towards such a small human. Bottled inside, though, she was having an enormous temper-tantrum with herself, thinking,

'Oh come on! Right when I was dreaming so pleasantly, this kid has to come and wake me up!'

She heaved a regretting sigh, then stood up before the child. Her red locks of hair tumbled out from the ribbon she had kept it in that night, and she quickly straightened out her choppy bangs. Normally she would wake happily, greeting the morning light gleefully. But this one time, right in the middle of her romantic dream with the taiyoukai, she couldn't escape the frustration she felt. Once she had signaled for the child to leave, she began to get dressed; pulling on her snug black boots and puffy matching-colored pants, then pulling on her soft, sky-blue jacket type kimono top. As she leave the hut, her long, red tail with ebony stripes following behind, her red cat-like ears twitched as she heard a shriek coming from down the village. She immediately rushed towards the scream to a huge cloud of dust. She watched as four individuals stepped out from the dust with a large demon, slain, behind them, smirks curving their lips. TK looked each one over cautiously as she began to pull out her sword.

"Alright," she started, "Who are you?"

"I'm Kaede," Kaede introduced, stepping forward. She looked back at the rest of the group, seemingly waiting for another one to step up and introduce, but they left the weight on Kaede's shoulders. She sighed a great 'huff' then finished,

"And this is Yukio, Yumi, and Shippou. We just killed this demon...sorry if we bothered you,"

TK quickly glanced over to the dead demon who lie still and glared back to the group. As she stare behind them, Kaede acknowledged the markings on her face which were similar to Sesshoumaru's– a crescent blue moon facing the opposite way of his on her forehead, and two blue stripes on each cheek. Kaede thought she had beautiful green eyes and fair skin and was a tad bit envious in the heat of the moment. She was drawn back to TK's words as she asked impertinently,

"Why are you here?"

Kaede almost felt possessive over her answer,

"Who wants to know?"

TK smirked, with a hint of annoyance to the small grunt she let out. Oppositely than what she should have felt, she began to take a liking to Kaede. She didn't know why, though. Maybe it was because no one ever talked to her like that without cowering in fear for who knew what reasons. Sesshoumaru was like that, also.

"My name is TK and I live in this village. Why are you passing through here?"

"We're on a hunt for a demon named Naraku and for my family and their comrades,"

"Such as?"

"InuYasha, Kago-,"

"InuYasha?"

"Yes,"

"You wouldn't happen to know of Sesshoumaru, would you?"

"Yes, I do. I helped him last night, in fact,"

She paused and watched as TK began to blush deeply and began to lightly bounce up and down while letting tiny girlish squeals out. Kaede only twisted her facial features into a confused disposition that she rarely used. She slipped her red sword that had flames dancing around it's blade back under her sash and announced,

"I must go find him! I'm coming with you until I find Sesshoumaru-sama and that's final,"

This time, it was the rest of the groups turn to join in looking baffled.

'Did she just demand to come with us?' Kaede asked herself in shock and assumed the rest of the group was thinking the same thing as well. Clapping her hands together in delight, she spun on her heel and continued towards the forest outside the village. She glanced over her shoulder and cocked her head forward as a signal for them to follow. Kaede took in a large heap of breath, then followed closely behind the cat demon with the trio beside her.

"So, where do you think he went?" TK asked as she hopped over a small puddle. Yumi snickered inwardly as Kaede let out a loud groan.

"For the tenth time, I don't know," the half demon replied calmly but with much annoyance. They'd been walking for quite a while and were starting to get tired.

"Maybe we should rest for a bit," Shippou suggested as the rest of the group slowed to a stop. TK nodded and leaned against a tree and the others collapsed either on the ground, or against a tree also.

"So," Yumi began to say as she rubbed her weak ankle, "How do you know this 'Sesshoumaru' guy anyway?"

TK let her shoulders sag as she peered upwards where wispy clouds seemed painted on the faint, blue canvas of the skies. She sniffed lightly and returned with her response,

"I grew up with him when we were very, very young. Then, when his mother had died, I hadn't really seen him again since my mother had discovered that his father had an affair while she was still alive and wanted nothing to do with Sesshoumaru or his father. Only because she was very, very close with Sesshoumaru's mother she felt it as a betrayal if we continued to visit after her death. Then, when my mother passed on, and I came across Sesshoumaru many years after we had last seen one another. We became close allies but it was all too good to be true,"

"Why? What happened?" Yukio asked boldly with his arms crossed across his body.

"Well, you see, I had fallen in love with him. But one day we had gotten into a huge argument which lead to a fight between us two. Well, of course, he had beaten me. Unexpectedly to him, though, I left his side after that and diminished our alliance and, to me, diminished my love for him. Stubborn as he is, he sent Jaken, his little servant toad, to come and find me and try to get me to apologize and return to him but I refused to. Especially since he should have apologized as well and I was so upset that he wouldn't come himself to see me. So, of course he didn't come after I told Jaken to tell him so for me. Sometimes it makes me think if he even cared for me at all,"

"So, why do you want to see him now?" Kaede decided to ask.

"I figure, it's been too long and I don't want to hold this grudge forever. So I think now is a great time to make peace with him,"

They all stared at her in bland disbelief. Her eyes knocked back and forth as she stare innocently at their urging glares.

"What?" She asked innocently. When they kept their steady glares on her, she heaved a sigh and continued,

"Ok, ok. It's also because I've been thinking a lot about him and I think I'm still in love with him so I need to get my feelings out,"

Kaede was about to object since she knew Sesshoumaru was traveling already with the woman, Rin, but there was a loud, high-pitched scream that drew their attention to a field. Quickly, they made their way towards the field.

"It's...so cold," Yumi shivered as she rubbed her arms for warmth. They were surrounded by ice. They stood on ice, the trees were icy and the demon before them was, well, made of ice. The demon had long white hair and sharp, icy eyes that seemed to narrow Kaede's courage just be glancing at her. Frowning, she unsheathed her sword and used the wind-scar. The whipping winds collided with the ice, making it shatter everywhere.

"That's not going to work," TK added smoothly. Kaede stared up to see the demon whole again.

"That won't work you foolish girl," The demon snickered as it sent ice-like spears towards the group. They dodged to the sides, and TK pulled out her own sword.

"Let's do this, shall we?" She smirked and her sword aimed towards the demon, "Try my flame arrows on for size,"

As she said this, large fire shaped arrows shot from her sword and headed for the demon. The demon smirked back and created a shield of ice in front of itself. The arrows hit the cover and it began to melt but didn't reach the actual demon. She held a finger tip to her lips and laughed uneasily. Kaede frowned and asked her if she had any other ideas.

"Uh huh!" She exclaimed as she placed two hands firmly on her sword's handle.

"Fire Katana!" She screamed with a roughness to the end of her cry, then brought her sword forward like Kaede had done with her sword when she had used wind-scar, and fire paths trailed towards the demon. Surprisingly, though, there wasn't enough fire. The demon spread a sheet of ice over top of the flames coming towards it, putting them out in a mere moment. TK gasped and stepped back cautiously when her attack had failed.

"I've had enough!" The demon shrieked and sent spear-ended icicles towards TK, surrounding her. She dodged as many as she could but the ice skimmed her skin most of the time, tearing it open, spilling her blood. She collapsed to her knees and growled to herself. She tried to move but screamed in pain as she was badly injured. Yukio, Yumi, and Shippou tried attacking while Kaede rushed to TK's side and exclaimed,

"TK! Don't move, you'll make your injuries worse!"

TK couldn't help but smile at how kind Kaede was being towards her. She nodded to herself then grasped the blade of Tetshiega and swiftly scratched the blade diagonally, leaving three large scratch marks, and two smaller ones all aligned. As the scratches had been made, small flames had followed each mark.

"What did you do to my sword?!" Kaede asked more angry than intrigued. TK smiled and replied,

"I can't use my fire attacks so I gave you some help with your sword. Since you have the wind already as an attack, it will spread the flames when you use this new attack I've given you,"

Kaede nodded and asked,

"But how do I use it?"

"Uh," TK started shakily, "I really don't know...you're going to have to find a way to use it,"

"What!" Kaede shouted in shock, "You mean you gave me an attack that even you don't know how to use?"

"Well, technically, it's your own attack, now,"

Kaede exhaled hopelessly then lowered her head in aggravation and stood. Here goes nothing, she thought to herself uselessly. She gazed up to the scratch marks as she held her sword erectly and watched the scratch marks glow red. She grunted as she let the sword down roughly, but the wind-scar only came out.

"Come on!" She screamed impatiently and tried to focus as the demon regenerated once again.

"Foolish girl!" The demon screeched and sent the same attack towards her as it did at TK. Defensively, she used her sword as a block but a couple had shot passed the protection of her weapon and penetrated her chest. She screamed out in pain and dropped on her back with her sword over top of her. As the blood seeped through her clothing, it also settled underneath her sword that lay against her chest. As the blood reach the scratch marks, she felt heat began to radiate from the sword.

"This will kill you for sure!" The demon sneered as it created an icy cocoon around Kaede's injured body. As the ice gathered quickly around her body, she could hear her friends' desperate shouts for her. As the freezing temperatures enveloped her body, she felt a strong heat in her chest. Her eyelids began to droop, and eventually closed.

"Kaede!" Yukio shouted as he failingly scratched at the ice, but found it useless. He doubted himself as the ice began to melt under his finger-tips but realized a small burning light coming from inside near Kaede's chest. His gaze widened as he could hear the ice beginning to crack so he flew back cautiously and watched as Kaede broke out from the coffin of ice. TK was stunned as she gaze upon the half demon's eyes which had tiny flames dancing just below her pupils.

"It's time to die," Kaede threatened as she tightened her grip on her sword's handle. She grunted as she bring down her sword and shouting,

"Burning Wind-scar!" As her sword met the ground, the paths of the wind-scar traveled towards the ice demon but this time, with huge flames. The blazing element surrounded the ice demon and began to crush it with it's powerful heat and hurling force. Everyone watched as the demon broke into thousands of ice shards, then melted into tiny puddles of water.

Kaede's eyes returned to their normal brown and she collapsed to the ground.

"Kaede! Are you alright?" Yumi asked with care as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. Kaede heaved a sigh and nodded. She glared up to Tetshiega and looked over the scratch marks which were previously glowing passionately, and were now just dull marks on the blade.

"Well that's interesting..." She whispered to herself as the rest came staggering to her side.

"That was great! I never knew you'd be able to master it so quickly!" TK complimented, seeming not to take heed of her wounds. Kaede just stared at her with a weak grin until she heard a distant scream. All of them turned to their right, to see a massive group of villagers come ambling from the forest and over to the comrades. They all began to praise them, especially Kaede and TK, and invited them to their village to stay for the night in thanks of ridding them of the ice demon.

"Say," TK started curiously, "You wouldn't happen to have seen a tall demon with long silver hair and carrying a pelt, would ya? He might have been with a little annoying toad demon too,"

"I have!" One little girl spoke up, "I was picking some flowers this morning and I saw him walking by. I hid, but he said he knew I was there but moved on. He went that way,"

She pointed in the direction of the forest beyond where they were looking. TK giggled to herself as blush crept across her cheeks. She grinned from ear-to-ear and elevated herself onto her tip-toes and said her good-byes to the group she had been traveling with and to the villagers. Kaede then thanked her for the attack but smirked when she found she was already gone.

"Oh! I forgot to tell her about the pretty, nice woman he was with! She was very nice when she found me and decided to pick flowers with me," The little girl remembered as she gazed at the flower bracelet she and Rin had made. Kaede frowned and hoped to herself as they followed the people back to their village,

'TK...I hope you'll be alright when you find out about Rin,'

Kaede seemed to be in another world as everyone else's conversing surrounded her as they continued towards the village. She was starting to get edgy which lead to fidgeting. She had hoped no one would notice, but of course, Yukio had to.

"Kaede, are you ok?" he asked cautiously as she flexed her claws and stared off into nothingness. She could hear his voice, it even echoed in her head, but she just couldn't drag herself from her empty thoughts to answer him. Finally, she knew he would continue to press annoying questions into her skull, so she tormented her inner self to answer,

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine,"

I gotta get away from him, she thought as she picked up her pace as they reached the village, trying to avoid him. He growled inwardly when he noticed she was avoiding him and flew up in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

"What's wrong? You've been acting pretty weird in and out," He pressured her for an answer.

She inadvertently glared into his eyes with her own but desperately tore her's away. He wouldn't understand. As she blinked, her eyes turned golden with built fury. Pushing by him peevishly, she barked back,

"I told you, I'm fine!"

She marched up to the head villager and began to speak with him, leaving the rest of her comrades with puzzled expressions.

Kaede peeled open her left eyelid as soon as she sensed everyone had fallen asleep then her right eyelid opened as well. It had been a long few days for everyone, so they had all collapsed and drifted into slumber when they were given a room to stay in their mansion (which wasn't all too great since they were not the wealthiest village but it was fine)even though the sun was just setting.

Kaede quietly stood and crept out of the room, careful not to wake any of the others who slept soundly. As she took a step onto the ground, outside the mansion, she could feel a burst of cool air brush against her face, which pulled back her thick ivory strands of hair. She started off slowly, then picked up a fast paced run towards the forest just near the village. Her legs finally grew weary, considering that she was tuckered out from the battle earlier, and she came to a stop.

Kneeling down beside a small pond, she carefully placed a finger tip on top of the water then peered up to the sky. The trees around her were dark but their high tips were glazed over with a honey-type color from the setting sun. The sky reflected the color painting the tips, with only a bit of darkness near falling over the skies as the remaining light slowly disappeared. She gazed down to her reflection and gasped when her own reflection was that of her mother's. She smiled as her mother grinned that smile that only a mother could form. The one that makes you feel like a small child again. Her eyes watered over and soon tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Mom...I miss you so much. I'm coming for you, though, I promise," As her last word slipped past her lips, a single tear fell onto the water, creating a ripple effect which brought her own reflection back. Kaede took in a small sigh as she could hear her mother's faint cries for her in her mind.

"Kaede! Ka..Kaede?" Kagome shot up from her sleeping back with sweat soaking her forehead. She dragged a sweaty hand through her bangs as InuYasha jumped down from the tree he slept in, and crouched to her side. He lightly gathered her in his arms as Sango stirred in her sleep and leapt away so that they wouldn't wake. He placed her down and gently took her face into his hands, asking her calmly,

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

She rose her clammy hands to his that were gently curved around her face and her thumb gently stroked his soft skin. She glanced back up to his gaze and confessed,

"Kaede is here in the feudal era...I can sense it,"

InuYasha seemed astonished at first that Kagome could sense something like this, but shrugged it off as he took her into his warm embrace. Her voice cracked as she weakly uttered,

"I'm so worried. And what about you...you seem very uneasy tonight. Is something the matter?"

He brushed off her question and took her out from the bathing moonlight to the light of the warm fire where they set camp and helped her into her sleeping bag while whispering,

"We'll go find her tomorrow,"

She smiled weakly and gently patted the cushioning of the space left beside her in the sleeping bag. He smirked and snuggled into the sleeping bag with her and with his arm thrown delicately over her small waist protectively. He gently kissed the top of her head as she fell asleep and stared back and up to the half moon with a worried frown. He was surprised Kagome hadn't noticed of the half moon. That was the reason why he was so nervous because that night, was the night Kaede became human.

TK scurried through the forest and finally found who she was looking for. She came to a blunt stop as she gaze upon the dog demon standing in the open with the pale moonlight bringing out his features. Waiting for nothing in particular with prestige. Inhaling deeply, she began to take a step towards the demon she had been waiting for so long to see but shuddered with shock as a woman's voice called his name,

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

She took her step back and darted behind a tree, gazing onto the woman who was perched by his side. A...human, she thought still startled. No. It couldn't be. He was _her_ Sesshoumaru...not her's. As she watched him gaze upon the younger woman basically clinging to his side, she felt something deep inside her begin to wither up like a rose and die. Crumbling to the depths of her stomach. Funny, the way he looked at this woman, it was the same way he used to gaze at her-- longingly. Her eyes focused back on Sesshoumaru as his masculine voice that always made her quiver with adoration addressed,

"Rin," the young woman peered up to him with a smile. As much as TK hated to admit, this 'Rin's' eyes were very stunning in beauty for a human.

"Go take Ah-Un, and find Jaken,"

She nodded and stood, then gracefully climbed on the two headed dragon beside her and they disappeared into the other direction of the forest. TK swallowed hard then turned around to leave but stopped suddenly as she heard,

"TK,"

She gaze over her shoulder with nervous eyes to the demon lord who was now facing her from where he stood. Her nerves were wrecked as he continued,

"Where are you going? You did come here to see me, yes?"

She smiled, though, as she could see a smirk caress his thin lips. She strutted over to him where he stood in the open with her hands glued to her hips, her tail swaying behind her. He cocked a brow as she taunted,

"Well, if it isn't the big bad taiyoukai of the west: Sesshoumaru," She could feel the tension begin to wash away as the reunion took place.

"Big mouthed as always, I see," He taunted back, struggling to keep his same solid expression. She laughed then there was a brief moment of dry silence which was thick with sadness. She cast her gaze to the ground then stated slowly,

"So, I see you have a mate,"

He exhaled softly as he kept his steady glare fixed on her.

"What you say is true,"

"What's her name?" She asked. It only dawned on her a few moments after her question to how foolish it was considering that he knew she was there the whole time before. She waited for him to throw that in her face, but surprisingly, he didn't,

"Rin,"

Her eyes rose to his, then fell back to the ground as she managed to let out a small, 'I see,'. The awkwardness that had disappeared had now returned in full force. She cursed herself for bringing up the topic, so changed it. Of course, with an even _worse_ discussion,

"Sesshoumaru," She started while closing her eyes in an effort to brace herself quickly for her continuation,

"Did you ever miss me, when I was gone?"

Even he was caught off guard. He wasn't used to her spontaneous acts since the huge gap of time that they were apart. That guiltiness that stuck to his heart when he hadn't gone after her once she had left so long ago. His original plan was to answer with something witty or dull like, 'Who would miss an annoying demon like you?' but he knew that he would hurt her by acting like, well, himself at a time like this.

"Of course I did," he was even shocked as these words tumbled out from his mouth. That pesky heart of his had done the talking for him. TK blushed lightly and smiled.

She couldn't tell whether it was the time nor the place to confess her feelings towards him, but she doubted ever getting a second chance quite like this. Gently, she found herself raising her hand to his face and gently stroking his cheek with her fingers. He shuddered inside to her soft touch. Her hand slunk down to his shoulder as she felt her eyes weigh down with puddles of tears. She couldn't take it. She loved him. And even if he didn't love her back, even if he couldn't love her back, she wouldn't keep this bottled up inside,

"Sesshoumaru...I've missed you so much. I regret ever leaving. Maybe..." She drifted off then reclaimed her words,

"Maybe things would have been different if I hadn't left. Maybe I would have been able to fall into your arms whenever I wanted to, maybe I would have been able to kiss you whenever I wanted to. But, I can't go back in time and change the past, and I know it might be too late to be saying this, but I want you to know...I need you to know that I'll still love you, forever,"

His bottom lip fell into a gasping look as the crystal tears shimmered in the moonlight as they sunk down her cheeks. She felt herself shake as she was drenched mentally in a heap of memories between her and the taiyoukai. She sniffled, still trying to fight back tears. Her gasp took to the air as her body met his. Her eyes wandered to the side as she felt his arm hold her close to him. She finally relaxed and slunk her arms to his back and cried silently onto his chest.

"I'm sorry," He uttered. She was shocked that he was as choked up as she was. A weak smile curved her lips as she felt his chest expand and contract against her own. She could stay there forever in his arms. But she knew it wasn't possible. She knew she would have to give him up all because of Rin. She didn't mind, though. She couldn't hate her just because she had fallen in love with Sesshoumaru. She silently slipped out from his grasp and smiled warmly as he held her hand once she backed away. Seemingly trying to cling onto her as a last bit of hope for their love. But he knew he had to let her go, as well. He loved Rin.

She swallowed hard then backed away to leave. With her back turned to him, she continued to shed tears as silently as she could.

"I will always love you, too," He whispered softly as she disappeared from his sight. He sighed as she was gone.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin's sing-song voice sweetly called as she joined beside him on the two headed demon resembling a dragon. Jaken was out like a light on the back of the demon. Sesshoumaru nodded and they bounded towards the skies.

TK covered her mouth as tears continuously fell from her eyes as she lay on a tree's branch, hidden from sight and scent from the dog demon. She had heard his last words, and knew they would stay in her heart forever.

Yumi stared hopelessly into the glow of the fire, her eyes dancing with the flames. She gently rested her head on her folded hands as she lay beside the heat of the fire. The other two were also awake with her to wait out the return of Kaede.

"Where do you think she could of gone?" Yumi asked with deep concern. Over the past few months, her and Kaede had become very close friends. Kaede even thought of Yumi as her own sister, and vice-a-versa. Yukio stared off to the wall with his eyelids slowly falling. He was jolted back to reality, though, when he heard a rustling from outside. Yumi cautiously reached for her weapon as a figure ran by the sliding door.

"Kaede?" Shippou called. Silence. Then suddenly a sigh could be heard and the slider was pulled open. Kaede stepped in and kept to the shadows as she went to sit in the corner. Yukio and Yumi gasped in shock as they gaze upon Kaede's form. Her dog ears had gone, and a pair of human ears rested at the sides of her head, her nails had shortened, and her canine teeth had squared off.

"Kaede, is that you?" Yumi inquired as she leaned forward, trying to get a better look at the girl. Yukio told her to come out into the light so they could see her better, but she refused.

Shippou, who was radiating from the fire's glow, quickly transformed into Kaede's human form, announcing in agitation,

"This is how she looks,"

Kaede frowned and approached the light with a sigh following. Her brown orbs shimmered slightly as she apologized to Shippou,

"I'm sorry I didn't remind you,"

Shippou's eyes knocked from Kaede to the pair in front of him as he begun to explain,

"You see, Kaede's father was a demon, and his mother was a human, which made him a half-demon. Kaede is also a half-demon, though, because, supposedly, when her parents, um, 'did it' InuYasha was said to have gone full-demon. Anyways-,"

"EW!" Kaede cried in disgust. She really had no desire to be reminisced of how she was conceived since many people seemed to know. Her antics went on as Shippou continued,

"Uh, so anyways, on the night of the new moon, he turned human. But since Kaede's situation is unique, her transformation is on the night of the first half-moon of every month,"

Kaede just rolled her eyes and changed the subject quickly so that no questions had to be asked. She was very personal when it came to her life, obviously.

"So, you guys wanna go swimming tomorrow?" Her blunt question triggered off new thinking to the rest of the group which was exactly what Kaede had intended. They all looked at her, ready to question her motives.

"You mean bathe?" Yukio asked with an astonished look. His gaze darted over to Yumi with a sly smirk twisting his lips. Yumi just snarled briefly in his direction while Kaede explained,

"No! Like just, well, swim! I've got an extra swim suit for you, Yumi,"

Yumi, still a bit confused, smiled and nodded. The boys were still quite out of it all.

"What will we wear?" Yukio and Shippou chimed in as the girls giggled to themselves about nothing in particular. Yumi glanced over to Kaede and both smirked as Yumi messed around with their heads seductively leading them on,

"Be creative,"

Shippou stifled back the urge to break out into laughter as he watch the bird demon scoot over to Yumi's side. Yumi and Kaede continued to chat about, until Yumi came to a sudden halt between words with her eyes opened wide.

"Get your hands off me you damn hentai!" She screamed and socked a fist to his face. As the fist made contact with his face, he fell over with delusional Yumi's dancing around his throbbing head. Shippou fell to the floor in laughter as Kaede asked what Yukio had done.

"He groped me!" Yumi screeched again and once again socked a fist to his other cheek as he sat up slowly then hit the floor again. Kaede then fell over in laughter and giggled,

"You and Miroku will get along very nicely, Yukio,"

Shippou nodded in agreement with her and carried on with their laughter, as Yumi clenched her fists while muttering cuss words and Yukio lay, out cold for the night.


End file.
